


Identity Thief

by intenzity9



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Depression, Drama, Drama & Romance, Established Relationship, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, F/M, Identity Issues, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Mild Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:47:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 46
Words: 153,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25244140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/intenzity9/pseuds/intenzity9
Summary: After an accident puts her sister in a coma, Sumire Yoshizawa takes up her identity to settle a lot of things she was supposed to do. First on the list? Date the senior college student.
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi
Comments: 635
Kudos: 134





	1. An Accident

**Author's Note:**

> From the one who gave you "Persona: Worlds Under War", I introduce to you all my second fic (and hopefully shorter than the last one) "Identity Thief"! This is my second fic and focuses more on drama without any action scenes (which I hope I'm doing well).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's bonkin', y'all! intenzity9 here!
> 
> This is my first fic that does not have action or any adrenaline-rushed pacing. This is more of a drama, and it's my first time to tackle that. So if ever I made any mistakes or inaccuracies, don't hesitate to tell me.
> 
> For now, I'll do y'all a favor and do a double upload!
> 
> With that said, let's get it on!

It was a cloudy afternoon in March as the Yoshizawa twins have finished their gymnastics practice and began walking home. The girls walk together, not leaving each other's side, but their positions tell a tale for it.

On the building side is Kasumi Yoshizawa, a top-tier gymnast who has been winning contests since she was 12. At the age of 15, she qualified for the Olympics and won flawlessly, leading straight to her rising popularity which garners her celebrity status. Now, she is living a life where she can avoid college and learn on her own due to the numerous contests she must participate in.

On the road side is Sumire Yoshizawa, the meek twin of Kasumi. Unlike Kasumi, she hasn't reached a winning status at all ever since she joined her sister in the gymnastics field. While Kasumi gains her popularity and began to be the center of attention for family and friends, Sumire slowly divulges herself to the shadows and prefers to be left entirely alone.

"Well, today was brutal, huh?" Kasumi spoke up as she tried to talk to Sumire.

"Yeah. Why do you ask?" Her response, as depressive in its tone as ever, was clouded by Kasumi's loud voice.

"Well, Coach really did ask us to do harder than ever. We can't afford to disappoint everyone now!"

Sumire ignored the response and kept looking at the road.

"Hello? Earth to Sumire?"

No reply. Even after Kasumi waved her hand in front of her face.

"I know! Why not we drop by the ice cream shop before arriving home?"

Sumire sighed. "Fine."

If there's one thing that Kasumi does to show her love to Sumire, it's her selflessness in rewarding each other. Despite how insensitive Kasumi gets and how much her inferiority complex has gone, Sumire will always be a sucker for ice cream.

Of course, their visit to the ice cream shop wasn't unnoticed as Kasumi began to be crowded with fans, prompting Sumire to wander off elsewhere with her cones.

"Of course, you will try to come here..." Sumire began to mumble on her own. "Everywhere you go, it's always Kasumi. Kasumi this, Kasumi that...."

She began eating her ice cream quickly as a way of calming herself down.

"Even during family reunions, everyone would rather talk to Kasumi... Why the fuck am I even here?"

Normally, Sumire doesn't curse heavily. But between her and Kasumi, she is the one most likely to curse a lot.

"What's the point of being the daughter of a TV director if all they want to see is that stupid, good-for-nothing-"

"Sumire?"

The redhead was interrupted by Kasumi, who managed to finish the autographs and selfies of fans.

"You okay?"

"No." She blurted out.

"Wanna tell me what's wrong?" Kasumi tried to make her open up. Sumire shook her head, forcing Kasumi to give up and go with her back to their home.

"Umm...."

"What?"

"Wanna hear the good news?"

"No."

"Come on, Sumire."

"I said no."

"Well," Kasumi huffed, "I'll just say it anyway."

Sumire remained quiet as Kasumi began bragging about what the good news is.

"A week from now, I'll be heading for Tokyo to meet up with a suave college boy."

_Ugh, another hook-up. Can you not tell me these stuff, Kasumi?!_

"His name's Ren, a psychology student who works part-time in a cafe. I mean, I would kill for a guy who not only studies something very hard to do but also serves you one hell of a cup."

_Okay, but what the actual hell am I gonna benefit from this?_

"So I'm thinking... should I go sexy, classy, chic, or simple?"

Sumire marched ahead of Kasumi as she couldn't handle her anger anymore.

"Sumire?"

She began to lag behind. "Sumire, wait up!"

On their 19th birthday, the twins celebrated a party in a resort with family and ~~friends~~ Kasumi's friends. Sumire, as always, refused to join everyone and preferred being alone by herself in the lobby. Catching her eye was a blonde woman who wore a baseball jacket, leggings, and low-tops. The woman relaxed as she lets out a sigh.

"How many more goddamn shoots do I have to do? And this stupid party is preventing us to make things faster...." Her eyes then turned to the cake Sumire had.

"OMG, is that a Black Forest cake!?"

Sumire, caught off-guard by her sudden question, flinched and dropped her spoon. The woman apologized and volunteered to get her a new one.

"Sorry for scaring you." She said to Sumire as she gave the new spoon.

"It's fine." She replied.

The woman noticed the sound of her reply and asked. "Are you feeling okay?"

"No."

The woman did not press further and looked at the crowded area. "Someone there has a birthday going on. I'm guessing that's where you got the cake?"

"Yeah."

"But why aren't you with them?"

"Would it matter if I'm with them or not?" Sumire's response was harsher than usual as her anger boiled.

"S-Sorry. My bad for asking." The woman apologized before checking her watch. "7 pm in the evening. And y-"

"A NEW CAR!?"

Sumire and the woman shot up as Kasumi ran past them to check on the new car. Kasumi then retreated and pulled Sumire out of her seat.

"Come on, Sumire!"

"Hey wait!"

The woman can only stare at them blankly as she is then tempted by the cake Sumire left behind.

"Come on, Sumire!" Kasumi's excitement cannot be contained as she finally arrived at the nearby parking lot.

"Oh, my."

"Holy shit! A coupe!"

Sumire winced at the sound of Kasumi's tone. The brunette twin then opened the driver's door and began to look for the keys while the redhead cautiously approached the car.

"Awesome! Come on! Let's get this baby spinnin'!" Kasumi beamed as both girls entered the car. As soon as the car started up, Kasumi accelerated it to a certain speed that she would find entertaining while her twin looked like she was gonna be sick.

"K-K-Kasumi.... mind s-s-slowing down a b-b-" Sumire can't hold it and opened the window to vomit.

"HEY! Don't let your puke stain this car!" Kasumi growled.

"I didn't...." she recovered.

Kasumi huffed in exasperation and looked at the road. "Seriously, you need to grow up."

Sumire felt hurt by her words and didn't hesitate to ask. "What do you mean by that?"

"Sumire, I can't watch you forever. You need to do stuff on your own. You've been screwing up your performances lately, you only passed one out of ten college applications, you barely interacted with our friends and-"

"I'll stop you there now, Kasumi." A tinge of anger was heard. "First of all, they're YOUR friends. They are only acquaintances with me because they want to know YOU only."

"Okay, that was uncalled for." Kasumi felt irritated.

"Second, I'm only screwing up because you keep hogging the spotlight instead of helping me with my performances. Coach kept reminding you, but it seems that you're only thinking about yourself. Again."

Both girls' blood began to boil.

"Okay, that's beginning to be literal bullshit, Sumire. I'm not THAT selfish.... unlike you."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm the selfish one!?"

Kasumi sighed angrily. "You're acting selfish right now by saying that I'm only selfish towards myself!"

"You're the one bragging about everything and all!"

"Not my fault you can't keep up with everything in life."

"Kasumi, you unbearable bitch!" Sumire yelled in front of her face, nearly at the verge of tears.

"I can say the same to you, Sumire!" Kasumi, on the other hand, didn't regret her words.

Sumire impulsively grabbed the wheel and forced the car to the opposite lane. Kasumi then gets overwhelmed by the sudden action.

"The hell!?"

"Just dump me in a ditch already!"

"And get me in trouble for your selfishness? Uh-uh!"

Kasumi shoves Sumire off the driver's wheel and puts them back on the right lane. Sumire shoves her back and swerves the car back to the wrong lane, angering her sister more.

"Kasumi, just do it!"

"Not in a million years!"

"Ugh, you NEVER understand me at all!"

The car began to swerve more as they approach an intersection, nearly hitting civilians in the process.

"Sumire, you're being reckless now!"

"I can't bear this anymore." She sucker punches Kasumi in the face before forcing the car onto an incoming truck.

"I hope things get better when I die!" She cried. "Not like anyone of you assholes would care anyway!"

Kasumi's eyes widened at the truck as she grabbed onto Sumire's hands and forced the car to turn.

"NO!"

The crash then happens, causing both girls to go unconscious.

Sumire wakes up upside down and sees Kasumi bleeding unconsciously.

"Wha-"

She then looked around and saw numerous people trying to help them out.

"What just-"

A man with brown, shaggy hair then pulls her out of the car.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" He opened his hand. "Tell me how many fingers am I pointing."

Sumire squinted as her glasses nearly pierced her eye. "F-Four?"

"Close enough."

She then turned to another person, who sports yellow hair and a muscular build, pull out Kasumi and check her vitals.

"Sakamoto, how is she?!" The man called out to his companion.

"She's alright, but she looks beat big time." He responded.

"In simpler terms, you oaf!"

"She's badly unconscious. Ya happy with my 'simpler terms'?"

Her vision began to fade as she too goes unconscious.

_15 hours later_

Hours after the Yoshizawa parents heard of the accident, they continue to worry as they wait for the results. Sumire wakes up at last, much to the (temporary) relief of her parents and some of ~~their~~ Kasumi's friends.

"Thank goodness, you're alive!" Shinichi Yoshizawa, the father, carefully hugged Sumire as the mother, Hanaki Yoshizawa, cried in relief. As soon as the embrace was released, Sumire's face changed expression as she looked at the unconscious Kasumi.

_Damnit, not only did I fail at my attempt.... I got Kasumi hurt more than myself. Stupid Sumire... can't even kill yourself again after how many times you broke down._

The nurse then arrives to tend to Sumire while the doctor arrives with a diagnosis for Kasumi.

"I'm afraid to tell you all this, but apparently Kasumi suffered more injuries than Sumire since she was facing the truck's front area. She suffered a bad concussion to go along with a broken pelvis, a dislocated left shoulder, and a fractured left femur. Not only will she be left in a coma for a while, she will have to undergo intense physical therapy after she recovers if she wishes to pursue her career in gymnastics."

Everyone in the room is shocked. Suddenly, Kasumi's friends glared deadly eyes onto the redhead.

"As for Sumire, she was nearly close to losing her eye. Although the wound will eventually heal, people are going to mistaken you for Kasumi sooner or later due to the formation of the scar. Other than that, she also suffered a dislocated left shoulder."

After the doctor informed them that visiting hours are close, everyone except the parents left. Shinichi and Hanaki then talked to their comatose daughter.

"Kasumi, honey... everything will be alright. You may be sleeping for a few months, but luckily you're still with us. You, me, your mother, and Sumire...."

Sumire felt the guilt of what she has done. Maybe she was selfish, after all.

"We'll make sure you get a wonderful welcome party after you recover greatly... We love you."

_One week later_

It was past dinnertime that Sumire returned from the hospital, but her looming depression went further as everyone began to ignore her completely and blame her for putting Kasumi in danger. The intensity of the bullying around her was worse than usual to the point where she refused to leave the house despite her parents' plea. More and more, Sumire began having more complicated suicidal thoughts as she begins sleepless nights and self-harm by refusal in eating any large meal her parents offered.

Things took a very wrong turn when her relatives visited and began to talk about Kasumi's condition and how reckless Sumire was to putting her in a critical state. Furthermore, the argument heated when some of them wished Sumire was the one who died, angering Shinichi to the point where he and the twins' uncle (mother's side) engaged in a fist fight. Sumire tried to bury her ears with pillows after locking the door, but the arguments and fighting went louder and louder.

_Stop.... Please stop it...._

_No more.... I don't wanna hear it anymore....._

_I'm already sorry..... Please don't hurt me anymore...._

Her thoughts went morbid.

_I can just slit my own throat in front of you guys, if that will keep you happy. Maybe Kasumi wouldn't mind being alone..._

_Or I can just try to hang myself again. But then again, I don't even know how that will work...._

_But there are the pills in Dad's medicine cabinet. If I can overdose it..._

Then her mind began to frenzy itself to the point where she screamed in her pillow.

"What do I do? What the hell do I do?!"

She began to cry, unsure of what she can or will do.

It wouldn't be until a few days later when Sumire stumbled upon an apartment for rent in Tokyo. Although it is quite affordable, that would mean she has to find work to keep the money rolling for the rent.

"Maybe if I run away, they won't care...." She mumbled as she asked for inquiries.

"Now that I found a place to stay, I need a job..."

She began making a short resume and printed it without her parents knowing. She then went out quickly to withdraw from her savings 50,000 yen and began to pack her stuff.

"Money: check. Clothes: check. Necessities: check. Gadgets: check." She began to circle around her room back and forth. "Now to wait for Mom and Dad to sleep..."

It was already nightfall, and Sumire napped until she heard her parents arrive home with a box of takoyaki and gyoza for her.

"Here's some food for you, Sumire." Hanaki knocked on her door. "If you need any drinks, there are juice boxes in the fridge."

"We might not be home a lot for a couple of months." Shinichi informed her. "We'll make visits to Kasumi to make sure she has company."

_"Okay."_ Was her only response. She felt betrayed by those words. _It's not like anyone will bother keeping me company._

"Just take care of yourself in the meantime. After this, we'll treat you girls to Destinyland in Tokyo after Kasumi recovers!"

"Consider it as a celebration. We're blessed that the both of you are still with us."

_You both sound uncertain with that._

After the elder Yoshizawas left the house, Sumire then took her chance. After eating the food and drinking an entire box of orange juice, Sumire stacked up some food and drinks as well and made her way to the door. Before leaving, she takes a look at their family photo. Having mixed feelings, she throws it onto the wall with full force.

"I'm not worthy to be a part of this family if I'm just gonna burden everyone..." She tearfully said as she looked at herself in the mirror.

"Maybe I can try to make her reputation good again.... Maybe..."

She returned upstairs and unlocked Kasumi's room. There, she pulled out a few ribbons for her to bring along. Trying her style out, she puts on a ribbon and makes herself look like Kasumi.

"I guess it's not bad. Deep breaths, Sumire..."

She began to breathe calmly.

"Starting tomorrow, you are KASUMI Yoshizawa. Sumire Yoshizawa is missing and lost for good. No one will miss her..."

She paused after realizing what she just said.

"It's for the best...."

She then marches out of the house and onto a train station. Hopefully, Tokyo will be kind to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! First chapter done!
> 
> For those who are new to my content, you can check out my other fanfiction while waiting for the next chapter to arrive: Persona: Worlds Under War. This one is action-packed that pairs with certain drama and a bit of humor to add it up.
> 
> With Sumire heading for Tokyo, will she be able to redeem herself by using her sister's identity in her new life?
> 
> Find out in the next chapter, "Welcome to Tokyo"!


	2. Welcome To Tokyo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> After getting Kasumi in a critical condition, Sumire runs away from home to start a life of her own.... under the guise of her own sister's identity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toldja it was a double upload for this fic!
> 
> Anyway, for those wondering where the Yoshizawas live when I made this fic... I went with the idea that they live in Okinawa.
> 
> Anyway, lezzgo!

Sumire arrives at the train station and then bought one ticket to Tokyo. After she was told that the train will leave late in the evening, she makes a quick stop to the nearby canteen to eat dinner. As she watches the news, it was more about what happened to Kasumi. A part of her felt guilty for what happened, but another part of her felt no remorse. As soon as she finished eating, she boards the train and decides to take a quick read on Kasumi's notebook, which she managed to snag off of her room while she was getting her ribbons.

"Okay, what to do as Kasumi...." She began flipping a few pages.

"Have a good date with the suave college senior." She read. "Huh, might as well check his social media ahead."

Sumire then searched up the name that was written on the notebook: _Ren Amamiya._

"Kasumi wrote here that he works part-time in a cafe called Leblanc. I guess I could kill two birds with one stone...."

As she found his social media, she felt her face turning red.

"What in the world!? How did Kasumi find a guy this cute!?" She then went downtrodden. "Right... Kasumi....."

She went back to being upset.

"No. I'm Kasumi now. I bet he won't know the difference..." She murmured to herself.

The train then began to move, and so Sumire spent the first half of the train ride studying about Ren to avoid fucking up.

Morning has arrived, and Sumire wakes up to the bright ray of sunshine on her face. She looks around to see that everyone is readying up for the arrival.

_The train will now arrive in Tokyo in 5 minutes. Please check your belongings to make sure nothing is left behind. We will not be held accountable for the loss of your materials._

Sumire got up and checked her stuff. To her relief, everything is still in her possession.

"Good. Nothing left, nothing lost."

She then wrapped things up and prepared herself for Tokyo. As soon as she stepped foot onto the train station, she inhaled deeply before exhaling with a smile.

"New life, here I come!"

She hailed a taxi and told him her destination. She then arrives in the apartment in Kichijoji, but as soon as she was about to knock...

"Can I help you?"

She turns around to see an elderly woman holding papers.

"Um, are you the one who put up that advertisement about an apartment for rent?" She asked carefully.

"Oh, I'm sorry, dear." She gave an apologetic look. "But someone already got the apartment last night. I'm here to meet the new tenant for her to sign the deed."

Sumire frowned after hearing that her only chance of living in Tokyo is foiled.

"O-Oh.... I see." She sighed. "Thank you though."

She then began to march to a nearby realtor and inquire for a few units available. Much to her dismay, she was met with disappointment. After thanking the realtor, she began to rest up in a nearby cafe with a sad face.

"Goodness gracious... I didn't know that finding a place to stay is hard." She sighed as she drank her cup of coffee. "If only there was someone who could help..."

Suddenly, a voice behind her caused her to flinch and yelp in a startled manner.

"Oh, it's you!"

"Eep!"

The redhead then dropped her phone, cracking the screen in the process.

"Oh no!"

"Oh, shit! I'm so sorry!" The woman who called her apologized for her sudden action and decided to help her out.

"My phone's cracked." Sumire sighed deeply.

"Don't worry! I know someone who can fix the screen back into tip-top shape!"

Sumire wanted to decline the offer, but what else can she do on her own?

_Of course, you will still rely on others' help. Classic Sumire._

"Um, okay then."

The woman then noticed her luggage. "Oh, are you going somewhere?"

Sumire winced. "I-I'm looking for a place to stay."

"Oh." The woman contemplated for a bit. "I know! Why not you stay with me instead?"

"H-Huh!?"

"What's that reaction for?"

Sumire felt embarrassed. _Living with a stranger?! Really!?_

"Are you sure about that?"

The woman nods with a smile.

"Uh, okay then..." she replied sheepishly.

"Oh, shoot! I forgot!" She extends her hand. "Ann Takamaki, at your service."

"Sumi-" Sumire nearly slipped her tongue in the name and recovered quickly. "Kasumi Yoshizawa. You can call me Sumi."

_At the very least, that nickname should keep me in check._

"Nice to meet ya!" Then Ann remembered something. "Wait, wasn't your hair brown the last time we met?"

Sumire froze in place. She had to make a lie quickly or else the jig is up.

"My sister and I decided to change our hair color for one year." She hoped Ann would fall for that trick.

"Hmmm... okay then. Now let's go!" Ann then dragged Sumire to the train station en route to her condominium in Nakano.

Arriving in Ann's condominium, Sumire was left with awe at how marvelous her unit looked. From a snazzy red couch to an aquarium to even a flat-screen TV, Sumire grew a bit envious.

"Man, I wish I had a room like yours... I feel jealous." Sumire blurted.

"Oh? Your room doesn't have much?" Ann asked, with Sumire only shaking her head. "Well, maybe you can redecorate when you get back home and all."

Sumire remained quiet.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

Ann shrugged it off and began to clean up a bit, disposing a few frames into a box. Sumire took notice and ignored it for now.

"Okay, now to bring you to your room!" Ann then escorts Sumire to her room, which is quite cleaner than how both Yoshizawa twins maintained.

"So.... what do you think?"

Sumire's new room had a lavender-colored wallpaper to match the white bed and a few wooden furniture in it.

"It feels... wow." Sumire was at a loss for words. "Who used to stay here?"

"An ex-boyfriend."

Sumire was caught off-guard for a bit until Ann reassured her.

"Don't worry. That was a long time ago."

Sumire then placed her stuff down for a bit and asked Ann a question.

"Do you get lonely all the time, Takamaki-san?"

"Not anymore. I'm better off living alone than with company. Buuuut since you're here, I could use some ladies to finally share all the bullshit that's been eating me up lately."

Sumire giggled. "Is it boy problems or something else?"

Ann smirked. "Something like that. I work as a model, y'know."

"Huh? A model?" Then a realization dawned at her. "So the resort back in-"

"Yeah. Was supposed to be a photo shoot for a new lingerie."

Sumire immediately blushed at the mention of 'lingerie'.

"L-L-Lingerie?"

"Yep. Why?"

Sumire quickly shook her head rapidly. "N-Nothing!"

Ann then asked her if she knows how to bake cookies. Sumire replied with an approving hum as they both began to get to business.

_An hour later...._

"Damn, those cookies were delicious!" Ann mumbled as Sumire began to bake another round of cookies. "Huh!? You up for more, Kasumi?"

Sumire bit her lip until it bled a bit. She then responded cautiously.

"I-I train in gymnastics a lot. I won the Olympics when I was only 15."

"For real!? Huh.... I'll be damned." Ann sighed. "Wish I was fit for more than just modelling."

Sumire looked at Ann. "In all honesty, Takamaki-san, you have a body to die for."

Ann blushed at the comment. "Hey! Only my best friend gets to comment that!"

Sumire chuckled. "Well, you complimented my athleticism. So I compliment your sexiness."

"Fair enough."

A knock on the door interrupts their moment with the sound of a cheerful yet snarky voice.

"Hey, Ann! You're making me shake like a frozen goose here!"

"Hold on, Futaba! Sheesh, you can be quite a handful...."

As the door opened, a young girl with orange hair, a dark green jacket, and a beanie entered the condo and looked at Sumire.

"Yo, who's this?"

Ann then pushed Futaba towards her. "This is Kasumi Yoshizawa. She's the one whose phone needs to be checked."

"Wait, the gymnast? Didn't you get into an accident or something?"

Both Sumire and Ann froze at the question. Sumire had to rebound it big time.

"O-Oh! That was actually my sister, Sumire, who got hospitalized to a coma. I can't believe that people would only refer me all the time in the news and all."

The last part of the comments stung her. _I'm just saying the truth._

"Oh. Well, in that case..." Futaba then gave off a devilish grin. "That means you and Ren can still hang out like you planned!"

Ann nearly dropped her phone at the sound of the name. Futaba realized her mistake instantly.

"Whoops."

"You're seeing Ren? Like, Ren Amamiya?" Ann coldly asked Sumire.

"Well, I just-"

"Ann....."

Both Futaba and Sumire went on edge.

"Okay." Ann said in a deadpan manner.

"Huh?"

"I said okay. No problem in that." She faced Sumire. "But Kasumi... if ever he becomes too stupid for you, please tell me ahead of time."

Sumire was unsure on her answer, but went along with it. "Y-Yes, Ma'am!"

"Alright." She then grabbed Futaba by the coat. "As for you, I'm gonna have to talk to your father about keeping your mouth shut."

"Yikes...."

"Anyway, Kasumi... this is Futaba Sakura. Electronics student in the University of Tokyo."

Sumire shook Futaba's hand out of oddity, but Futaba didn't mind.

"Alright, I'm gonna need your phone and I'll bring it home with me to repair the screen with all my tools." Futaba spoke.

Ann interjected, however, as soon as she heard Futaba. "You're not gonna plant bugs in the phone as well, right?"

"Huh? Hell no! I learned my lesson on that!" Futaba defended herself as she then changed the subject. "A-Aren't we supposed to show Kasumi Tokyo in a nutshell?"

Ann then glanced at Sumire for a bit. "You know what? I think Futaba's right"

Ann pulls out her phone and began to call someone.

"Uh, who ya callin' this time?"

"Shush."

_"Hello, Ann?"_

"Shiho! Thank goodness you picked up!"

_"Is there something you need?"_

"I need your help in helping me give a tour around Tokyo with Kasumi here."

_"Kasumi? Is she a new roommate of yours?"_

"Yup! Come on! Please?"

_"Alright, alright. Lemme just teach the kids at camp on perfecting a power spike."_

Ann rolled her eyes in amusement. "Volleyball is life, huh?"

_"Ah, shuddup. Modelling is life, huh?"_

"Touche. We'll be waiting in front of the Neo Featherman store in an hour!"

Shiho Suzui, the person on the other line, chuckled.

"I take it Futaba is with you again?"

_"Well, I did accidentally scare Kasumi and broke her phone."_

"Ah, classic Ann. Captain Klutz." Shiho joked.

_"I'm not that much of a klutz!"_ Ann's tone felt offended.

"Jeez, it was a joke. But okay."

_"Meet us for lunch? Then we tour her around?"_

"Roger dodger."

_"See ya!"_

After Ann hung up, Shiho looked at the kids performing badly. _This is gonna take a while._

"All right, so Shiho is game for the tour." Ann cheerfully said, the cold demeanor from earlier already disappeared.

"So where will you take me?" Sumire asked warily.

"Hmm... we'll have lunch over by that Italian restaurant that just opened in Shinjuku, then Shiho and I will take you to Ikebukuro, Harajuku, Asakusa, Odaiba, Shinigawa, and a place of your choice!"

"Ann, how can she have a 'place of her choice' when she just got here?" Futaba spat facts.

"Right. Sorry. Maybe you can browse a place while we're giving the tour?" She sheepishly smiled.

Sumire returned the smile, and it wasn't something forced. "Sure. I'll let you and your friend know."

"Awesome! At this point, we will now officially welcome you to Tokyo, Kasumi!"

Sumire ignored the last part and giggled. "Thanks."

Ann then gestured Sumire to dress up well and Futaba to start fixing the phone as they prep themselves up for an all-day tour around Tokyo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so if ya managed to read my other fanfic... you'd notice my pattern of Ann being closely connected to Ren.
> 
> Before I became enchanted by Sumi Yoshizawa, I was a strong fan of the Ren x Ann pairing. Though times have changed, I still have that pairing in second place now.
> 
> With Sumire (a.k.a. 'Kasumi') feeling a bit welcome with a new place to stay and a few new friends, how will the tour go for her since 'she' will be brought up a lot by some people due to 'her' reputation?
> 
> Stay tuned for Chapter 3, "A Certain Level of Unease", next week!


	3. A Certain Level of Unease

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Arriving in Tokyo, Sumire found a new acquaintance in Ann Takamaki, who offers her an extra room in her condominium. After meeting Futaba Sakura for her phone's repair, Ann and Sumire agree to meet up with Shiho Suzui for a trip around Tokyo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys!
> 
> I'm thinking of carefully planning the pace of this fic coz after I finish the Epilogues of Persona: Worlds Under War, my sched is completely wide open to anything. 
> 
> So I'm changing the schedule of new chapters from Thursdays exclusively to Mondays and Thursdays.
> 
> For now, let's get on with the story!

Ann and Sumire wait for Shiho in a nearby mall as they begin the tour around Tokyo. Taking a look at the Neo Featherman store, Sumire heard a giggle from Ann.

"See something you like?"

"Y-Yeah, I guess." She sheepishly replied as she pulled out a purple costume.

"Huh? Purple Albatross?"

Sumire was caught off-guard by the question. "What's wrong?"

"Purple Albatross is one of the most popular characters in the series lately. Especially the plot twist where she was pretending to be Red Hawk's lover the entire time."

"O-Oh..." Sumire's face dropped. _I kinda wished I didn't know that._

Ann recovered quickly to make her comfortable again. "B-But she was a badass! She always stuck with her beliefs and stuff... even felt guilty for betraying the group for a short time before returning."

"You seem to know this a lot, Takamaki-san." Sumire mumbled.

"Oh, I forgot. No need for formalities. You can just call me Ann, Sumi." She beamed. "As for how I know this, I played Purple Albatross myself."

"H-Huh!?"

Not only was Sumire staying with a model, but an actress as well!

"Yeah. Which would kinda explain why your room is purple."

"That doesn't make any sense!" She spoke with shock and awe. "How are you still acting when you're in the age of studying?"

Ann tapped her lip with her finger. "Now that I think about it... I haven't been to school for two years now."

"Seriously!?"

"Yeah. Ehehehe." Ann felt embarrassed. "I kinda bought the condo after finishing the 3rd season of the remake."

"So you got rich from acting and modelling alone?"

"I began as a part-time model since I was 15. I started acting when I turned 17. On my 19th birthday, I gained the condo. And now, at 20 years old.... I'm still feeling beat."

Sumire laughed, catching Ann's annoyed look.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. It's just... I wanna call you Senpai if we go to the same school, but I guess I'll be having that title instead."

"Hey! Don't push your luck." Ann jokingly retorted.

After Ann bought the Purple Albatross costume for Sumire, Shiho arrives with an exhausted look.

"Jeez, who knew watching those kids play was tiring?" She murmured.

"Relax, Shiho. It's not like anything that's worse than it already is." Ann tried to cheer her up.

"Riiiiiight. Like not going to college?"

"Har har."

"Anyway, you must be Kasumi."

"Y-Yeah. Kasumi Yoshizawa, at your service!" _That was NOT a usual Kasumi introduction!_

Shiho furrowed her brows for a sec. "Huh? Kasumi Yoshizawa? The gymnast from Okinawa?"

"Yeah."

Shiho looked at her carefully, causing Sumire to shake a bit.

"You recovered fast despite the accident."

Ann stepped in to clarify her. "Well, the news kept saying Kasumi when it was her sister, Sumire, who is in a coma."

Sumire's mind began to fry as she felt her anxiety rise up.

"I see." Shiho can only say. "Welp, name's Shiho Suzui. Volleyball scholar at the University of East Shinjuku."

University of East Shinjuku. A place that Sumire was awfully familiar with.

...

...

_HOLY SHIT!_

"Oh, my God!"

"What's wrong?" Ann jumped after Sumire's realization.

"Did I say something, Kasumi?" Shiho tilted her head in confusion.

"I was supposed to enroll to East Shinjuku!"

Ann and Shiho looked at each other with awkward eyes.

"You reckon we do that first, Ann?" Shiho suggested.

"Nah, let's just do that tomorrow, Kasumi. We'll introduce you to the whole city first! If ya need photos, we gotcha covered!" Ann shot a wide grin which then faded as Shiho made a joking remark.

"Anything to get ya away from school, huh? You're beginning to be like Ryuji, ya know."

"Fuck off, Shiho." Ann's response was cold, much to Shiho's delight.

"Whatever, Ann." She just shrugged as she looked at Sumire with promising eyes. "I'll help ya with your enrollment tomorrow, Yoshizawa-san."

"Thank you so much!"

They suddenly hear the sound of a stomach grumbling.

"Jeez, Ann, go easy on the eating." Shiho teased.

"That wasn't me...."

The sound happened again. Sumire backed away sheepishly.

"S-Sorry. That was me."

The three then took a train to Shinjuku, hoping that the new Italian restaurant still has vacant seats.....

..... as if that would happen on Opening Day.

"Urgh, I can't believe it's packed on Opening Day!" Ann complained.

"You should've figured it out by now, Ann. You're the celeb among us!" Shiho pointed out.

Ann sighed in defeat and turned to Sumire. "I'm sorry, Kasumi-chan."

"It's fine." Sumire waved her off before she began looking around for another place to eat. "Why not over there?"

She pointed out a small ice cream shop, much to Ann's delight and Shiho's chagrin.

"We're doomed...." Shiho whispered to herself.

"YAY! Ice cream!" Ann cheered. "For some reason, you know me so well!"

"Heh. If I knew you ate my sister's cake after I took her to my new car...."

_Wait. What did I just say?_

"Wait, you ate her sister's cake!?" Shiho looked at Ann with disappointment.

"H-Hey! I can explain..." Ann tried to defend herself.

_That was my cake, not Kasumi's. But then... I never finished the cake because that's Kasumi's favorite, not mine._

"Hello? Earth to Kasumi?"

Shiho snapped her fingers to put Sumire out of her trance.

"S-Sorry. I was just processing how Takamaki-san here ate the cake."

Ann huffed in exasperation. "You two are never gonna let it die, huh?"

As the trio arrived in the ice cream, Ann charged in and began to order a lot. Shiho sighed at her friend's impulsiveness and asked Sumire.

"Kasumi-chan, do you have any favorite flavors of ice cream?"

Sumire looked at the menu. _Wait, I have a favorite flavor? That can't be right._

"Hmmm, I don't think I have a flavor that suits me best." She pondered for a second. "If I were to pick, it'd be.... chocolate peppermint!"

_Wait, was it chocolate peppermint? I don't know, but it looks tasty._

"I see." Shiho rubbed her chin. "I'm more of a cookies-and-cream gal. Ann, on the other hand...."

The two stared at Ann, who was somewhat ordering 5 different flavors. They both chuckled until Sumire caught wind of a conversation outside.

_"Ugh, I can't believe my car got towed!"_

_"Well, at least you didn't kill us with your bad driving."_

_"The hell is that supposed to mean?"_

_"You heard of the Yoshizawa twins, right?"_

_"The gymnasts?"_

_"Yeah. Rumor has it that one of them tried to kill the other in that car accident so they can take the whole pride and glory of it."_

_"Ain't that fucked up?"_

_"It is. But it's always a competition for them, so I guess it's fair if one of them died."_

Sumire frowned at their conversation as Shiho made her turn to order. Ann noticed her expression and inquired about it.

"Hey, you okay?"

"I think so."

Ann looked outside. "There were rumor-mongers, weren't there?"

"Mhmm."

"Should've figured." Ann sighed deeply. "Let's go wait for Shiho and eat up this ice cream fast. I'll talk about people like them when we arrive in Harajuku, since it's the closest."

After finishing their ice cream together, the girls made their way to Harajuku for a short tour in Takenoko Street. However, there were more rumors spilling around left and right as soon as they arrived.

_"I heard that Kasumi Yoshizawa got hospitalized after the crash."_

_"Nah, that's probably her sister. Kasumi-chan would never be hospitalized."_

_"I guess so. Besides, whatshername Yoshizawa isn't really much of a big help for the family."_

_"I feel bad for Kasumi, though. Her sister acts like a little kid asking for her help a lot."_

_"She must be burdening the family a lot if she stays too dependent."_

"Grrrr, even here? You gotta be kidding me." Ann groaned.

Sumire began to shake in fear, which Shiho took notice.

"Don't worry, Kasumi-chan. We're here if there is anyone trying to pick a bone with ya."

"Oh, I know!" Ann chimed. "Let's get you some cool styles!"

Ann drags Sumire to one of the shops and lets her pick a style. After a few minutes, Sumire exits the dressing room wearing a red blouse revealing the pink tube top under it, a black skirt, and black boots with silver toes.

"You look so amazing!" Ann's voice caught the attention of everyone, who then eyed Sumire.

_"What the hell? Kasumi Yoshizawa? I thought she was at the hospital?"_

_"When did Kasumi-chan color her hair red?"_

_"Probably because she felt guilty that her sister is in the hospital."_

_"Why would they report it as Kasumi, though?"_

_"Who knows, who cares. More specifically, those words towards the sister. That's why they made it as Kasumi Yoshizawa in the hospital."_

_"All for ratings, huh?"_

"Y'all got something to say? Say it!" Shiho lost her temper a bit and tried to pick a fight with the people spouting rumors. Ann rubbed her back rapidly and massaged her shoulders.

"Deep breaths, Shiho. Remember not to lose your cool now...." She frantically said as she calmed Shiho down. "We obviously don't want a repeat of last time, riiiiiiiight?"

Shiho finally calmed down at last and apologized. After paying for Sumire's clothes, the three rushed to Shibuya and took a short rest in the station square.

"Damnit, there better not be any rumor-loving idiots here." Ann inspected the area as Shiho confronted Sumire.

"Sorry for my outburst earlier, Kasumi."

"It's alright."

She lied. She obviously lied. But for some reason, it was as if it didn't bother her at all.

"You sure? The rumors about you though..."

Sumire frowned as Shiho mentioned that. "I just wish they would stop treating me like that."

Ann shook her head in disbelief. "I have a bad feeling that Kasumi here might hear more rumors if we head for crowded places. Let's just go to Ikebukuro and Asakusa within the week."

"Or when she's free for it." Shiho suggested. "She still has enrollment and other stuff to do."

Sumire then figured out the other thing she needed to do.

"Right! Um, is there a place where I can work part-time?"

Ann tapped her cheek as she was thinking. "Well, there's the flower shop in the underground mall here. They usually have double pay every Wednesday."

Shiho then gave her recommendation. "Or you could try to work at that weird-ass bar in the red light district in Shinjuku. Crossroads, was it?"

Sumire replied to them. "Is there a place where I can work peacefully without hearing any of those rumors?"

Ann remained very quiet. Shiho suggested that she would work two part-time jobs if that were the case.

"So the flower shop and..."

"LeBlanc."

Shiho whipped her head in worry. "Ann..."

"It's the only place where you won't get to hear any rumor at all. Place is somewhat deserted if not for Futaba's constant visits."

Sumire peaked interest onto what Ann said. "Are you sure?"

".... yeah. 100% sure."

Shiho then tried to remove the awkward air by suggesting Odaiba's Seaside Park for some R&R. Both Ann and Sumire took the idea and the trio took a train to the park.

Arriving in Odaiba, the trio made their way to the Seaside Park as Ann began to talk about how fast rumors travel in Tokyo until she got to their story.

"Back when I transferred here, a lot of people despise me for my looks. Popular kids hate me, unpopular kids avoid me. So even at the age of 13, I already got rumors like 'I slept with the teacher at a young age just to pass' or 'I paid someone to do my homework'. Shiho, however, had it worse."

Sumire turned her eyes to Shiho, whose fists are clenched tightly as they walked.

"When we both began high school and Shiho got the starting position in the volleyball team, rumors about us being the coach's lovers began running faster than the roadrunner. Although I got a lot due to my appearance and sex appeal, Shiho was targeted big time due to how she was becoming his 'favorite'. One day, we protested to those rumors and found out that Shiho was actually harassed by the coach....."

Shiho gave her a glare to stop talking. "Don't you fucking finish that.... ever."

Sumire then slowly backed away when the two best friends realized that they gave a hostile vibe.

"Sorry, Kasumi-chan!"

"I did it again, didn't I?"

Sumire just shook her head. "It can't be helped. I should be the one apologizing. For bringing bad memories."

Ann shook her head while Shiho insisted on their apology. "The past will always run back to us, one way or another."

"And we have no one but ourselves to fix our own problems."

Shiho and Ann widened their eyes in shock before furrowing their eyebrows.

"That's.... quite the stance you have there, Kasumi-chan...."

"Ngh."

Sumire then continued walking as if nothing happened. "Come on. You two should be showing me where the park is."

_Wait, did I give them an insensitive comment? I think I did, but it's true._

"Oh, sorry. Gotta find a restroom first." Sumire excused herself to find the nearest public restroom. At that time, Ann and Shiho gave worried looks.

"You know, Kasumi-chan may be nice and all...."

"But she should learn when to take people's struggles into account. I know."

"She seems bothered by the rumors, but she reacts to it in a mixed way."

Shiho blew a hair strand off her face. "Wait until they hear about her gymnastic awards when she gets enrolled tomorrow. That shit is gonna blow all over the school."

Ann still remained quiet.

"You were thinking about him again earlier, weren't you?"

"One of the reasons why Kasumi-chan is here is because of him."

Shiho sighed. "Well.... I guess it can't be helped. Frizzy Hair just has that kind of charm in him."

Ann scoffed. "Well, that bastard better treat her well or else he'll be getting an earful from me."

".... Ann."

Ann wiped off a few incoming tears to avoid further questioning from Sumire, who returns from the quick trip to the restroom.

"Is everything alright?"

 _Shit, are my eyes that obvious!?_ "Y-Yeah."

As the three carried on, Sumire then took a look at the bridge hovering over Tokyo Bay.

_Well, that would be a place Sumire would try to kill herse- Wait a minute, I'm....."_

Ann noticed her worried expression.

"You okay?"

_I'm... Kasumi. I'm Kasumi Yoshizawa. I hope that Sumire is resting alright. We still have practice to go to._

"Y-Yeah. By the way, are there any gyms with gymnastics equipment here?"

_No! I'm Sumire Yoshizawa. Like hell, I can fucking keep up with Kasumi._

"I'm not sure. Why do you ask?"

"It's nothing. I just had the urge to ask."

_Phew.... close call. Stay in the game, Sumire..... Stay in the game...._

Ann and Shiho shrugged as they reached the Seaside Park. A Ferris wheel is in site, giving Ann an idea.

"I got an idea! How about we ride the Ferris Wheel this once?"

"Ann, you know that it can only fit two people per gondola."

Ann pouted. "Come on, Shiho! It'll be fun for the both of you!"

"H-Huh!?"

"Kasumi and me? On the gondola? What about you?!"

Ann waved them off and reassured them that she'll wait for them nearby. Shiho knew what this meant and complied.

"Come on, Kasumi. We got a gondola to ride."

Sumire shivered the moment she sat down on the gondola.

"You alright? You're not afraid of heights, aren't you?"

"N-N-Nope...." Her tone betrayed her words.

"Oh boy...."

After three round trips, Shiho and Sumire finished the wheel with somewhat a good result. 'Somewhat' due to ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi's fear of heights.

"Finally...." Sumire leaned onto one of the railings and panted heavily.

"For a gymnast, you sure are afraid of heights."

"Yeah. My sister, on the other hand... she looks really experienced in going to high places."

_That's because I tried to jump off a few buildings, but my cowardly butt won't let me._

The two ponytails spot Ann, who is currently taking a whisk off of a lager bottle.

"Ann..."

"Takamaki-san!"

"Oh, crap." Ann spilled some of her drink. "Done already?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Did you enjoy it?"

"I-"

Shiho cut Sumire off before she can even form another lie. "She has a fear of heights. Had to keep holding her hand."

"Suzui-san!"

"Mwehehehe."

"Ugh, you two...." Ann's drunkenness was about to kick in.

"Ann, what did I tell you about getting drunk?" Shiho reprimanded her.

"Izz nuthin."

"It isn't nothing."

"Why do you care anyway?"

Shiho sighed in disbelief. "Sorry, Yoshizawa-san. But I gotta take Ann back to the condominium. Can you make your way to wherever you want to go next?"

Sumire nodded slowly, meaning she doesn't.

"There should be a guide back in Shibuya. It should help ya in where you're going."

"Uh...."

"It's in the station square. Near where Congressman Yoshida used to talk. By the green train car. You won't miss it."

Sumire then nodded as Shiho hailed a cab to bring Ann back to Nakano. As she arrived in Shibuya and began to check the guide, a man walks up to her.

"Hey there, cutie. You look lost."

Sumire shook in fear, but tried her best to let him fuck off without being rude.

"I'm not lost. I'm actually waiting for a friend."

"Well now, let's say we go have some fun while waiting for your friend." He grabbed her wrist, but noticed her resisting.

"Thanks, but I prefer staying here and waiting patiently."

The man tugged her hard, but Sumire tugged harder.

"Sonuvab-"

"Don't underestimate a gymnast." She arrogantly said. It backfired when the man pushed her to the train car. Everyone took notice, but ignored and made their way around.

"A gymnast, you say? That makes it more fun, since you're that flexible and all."

Sumire avoided his perverted gaze until she heard him cry in pain. In front of her now is a frizzy-haired man with a black blazer and glasses, who happens to be twisting the creep's arm. She isn't sure how to react, however.

"Stop it! You're hurting him."

"Well, he was about to do more than hurting you." he replied.

"Goddamn four-eyed brat! Do you know wh-YAAAAAH!"

Sumire heard a bone crack in his arm.

"Touch another innocent girl like her, and I will hunt you down like a mad wolf. Got it!?"

Sumire observed the man and his demeanor. His calm, kind eyes betrayed the aggressive display of heroism he is currently doing right now. And from his warning, he seems really dedicated to keeping anyone close to him safe.

_But this is the guy Kasumi likes. I have to make sure it stays that way._

"Now go apologize to Miss....."

Sumire snapped back from her thoughts and replied. "Yoshizawa. Kasumi Yoshizawa."

"Wait, what?"

"Huh?"

The frizzy hair continues to torture the man. "Apologize to Miss Yoshizawa here, and I'll let you go."

After the man apologized, he lets him go and stared at him deadly until he disappeared from sight. Relieved, Sumire exhaled and thanks him for his help.

"Kasumi Yoshizawa, huh? Last I saw your photos, your hair was brown."

Sumire made up another lie. "Uh, I colored my hair as a dare from my sister. Her hair is now brown while mine is red."

The frizzy-haired boy studied her cautiously until he made a statement. "Well, as long as you weren't hurt and all. Come on, I should treat you to something since you're already here."

"To where?"

"LeBlanc." He then remembered something. "Ah, shit. Where were my manners?"

Sumire made a smile, unsure if it was just an act or her own, as the boy introduced himself.

"The name's Ren. Ren Amamiya. Third year college student in the University of East Shinjuku."

"Kasumi Yoshizawa. Upcoming first year student in the University of East Shinjuku."

_All for Kasumi. She deserves a guy who will love her...._

_._

_._

_._

_.... because who would love a girl like me?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all noticed how Sumire's thoughts are slowly transforming into Kasumi's?
> 
> I reenacted the certain scene in the Station Square where a creep was trying to push himself to Sumire, but in a different way since at that exact moment of the P5R story... Ren and Sumire began to know each other (or atleast when Sumire was posing as Kasumi).
> 
> Finally meeting the man Kasumi was supposed to meet, will Sumire keep her composure in her little date with Ren? Find out on the next chapter, "My First Evening"!


	4. My First Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Sumire is accompanied by Ann and Shiho during her welcoming tour in Tokyo. However, rumors disrupt their moments and begin to torture Sumire psychologically.
> 
> After separating ways with Shiho and a drunk Ann, Sumire finally comes face to face with Ren.

Arriving in Yongen-Jaya around 6:30 p.m., Ren and Sumire venture their way to a quaint cafe hidden in the back alleys of the residential district. In front of them now reads 'LeBlanc Coffee and Curry'.

"Remember the part-time work I do when I'm not in class?" Ren asked Sumire.

"Y-Yeah." She replied nervously.

_Of course, this was supposed to be a test. Ren and Kasumi obviously chatted a bit until they the stupid decision to meet up._

"Well, here you are! Looking at my workplace." Ren flashed his hands like he is showing off a new car. Sumire can't help but giggle, again unsure if it was an act or out of her own reaction.

"It's cute, to be honest. Kinda like you."

In an instant, Sumire covered her mouth and blushed a bit. Ren began to tease her.

"Our first meeting, and you called me cute. Didn't know you were this flirty, Kasumi."

"T-T-That just c-c-came out accidentally!" She defended herself, but the stuttering betrayed her. Ren laughed and pulled her close.

"Come on now. No need to get nervous with my teasing." He leaned to her ear and whispered. "Unless you want me to tease you elsewhere."

Sumire turned crimson-red and began to breathe rapidly.

_Kasumi is dating a flirtatious guy! React like how Kasumi should!_

She went redder. _I said like how Kasumi should! Stupid Sumire!_

Ren opened the door and guided her to the closest booth. Meanwhile, an old man wearing a pink long-sleeved polo and khaki pants began reprimanding Ren for being late.

"What took you so long?" He began.

"Sorry, Boss. Miss Yoshizawa here was being hassled by some creepy motherfucker in Shibuya."

The old man sighed. "As long as you're not putting yourself in a medical condition. Now get cooking before Futaba will bug us with another one of her-"

 _Speak of the devil._ Sumire turned around to the sound of the bell ringing as Futaba swung the door open.

"Sojiro! It's turkey time!" she shouted with a smile.

The old man, now revealed as Sojiro, sighed deeply as Futaba sat by the counter with the turkey in hand.

"Turkey times."

Ren laughed at the back and greeted the orange-haired girl.

"'Sup, Futaba."

"Wassup, Ren!" She turned around to see Sumire present instead of the usual emptiness. "Oh, hey Kasumi!"

Sumire gave an awkward wave. That didn't stop Ren from asking any of them.

"You two know each other?"

Futaba began running her mouth. "Well, Ann met her first. She broke her phone by accident after Ann scared her, so she took her to her pad while she contacted me to fix this bad boy."

Futaba then gave the phone to Sumire, whose eyes widened at the amazing handiwork that Futaba had in repairing the broken screen.

"Had to do trial-and-error in case the LCD and touch system of the phone broke, which kinda did since it landed screen first. So I had the liberty to repair it even further and turn it into something new! Ta-da!"

Sumire grabbed Futaba's hand and shook it quickly. "Thank you so much!"

"Arm... beginning... to ....hurt!"

Sumire realized what she said and lets go. "Sorry."

"It's cool. We cool, Sumi?"

Sumire nods while Futaba forces Ren out of the kitchen for turkey time. Ren then decided to brew her a cup of coffee.

"Would you like having Colombian or Arabian?"

Sumire, unsure of what to pick since only Kasumi was debriefed about this (probably), picked Colombian without thinking.

_If I ask him the pros and cons of the coffee, he'd figure out that I'm not his future lover.... *sigh*_

"Colombian, huh? Coming right up."

As he began brewing, he looked at the redhead with a gentle but broken smile.

"So you're living with Ann Takamaki, huh?"

"Yeah. She told me that her ex-boyfriend's room is now my room."

Ren kept an eye on the beans as they were being heated and grounded. "Anything else she said?"

Sumire contemplated on what he should tell him. Especially when Ann warned him about kicking his ass if he didn't treat her right.

"Nothing else. She would dodge the question often."

"I... see."

Ren then finished brewing and gave her coffee. "Here you go."

"Thank you." She took a sip of the coffee and smiled. The aroma that whiffed onto her nose, mixed with the richness in the taste and the perfection of how it was made, warmed her up a bit.

"So delicious!"

"I'm glad you liked it."

_Liked it? I loved it!_

Sumire smiled as she looked at her phone. "Futaba-san seems so..... proficient."

Ren chuckled at the comment. "She's a quirky girl, you know. But her intelligence is something to be reckoned with."

"And I agree to that!" Futaba shouted in support.

Ren then continued to talk to Sumire. "You know, I heard about your accident. And it scared me that the person I was supposed to meet tonight has been hospitalized. But it seems that the media lied, because you're already here!"

Sumire felt a bit uneasy from his statement.

_Yeah, if only the real Kasumi were here._

"I'm sorry to worry you. But trust me: I'm tougher than how I look!"

_Lies._

"Tougher, huh? How come you were blushing intensely earlier from what I said?"

_Told you so._

"I-I-I uh, you know...." She began scrambling for an excuse. He leaned forward with a smug grin until she found her excuse.

"It's just.... how can I have part-time work here if a co-worker like you would flirt?"

Ren stopped dead in his tracks. Every ounce of teases and jokes he had right now were thrown out of the window. Sojiro laughed while Futaba's jaw dropped.

"It seems even the gymnast wants a shot at working here." He wiped his hands with his apron. "Tell ya what: help us out in the store any time, and we'll pay you a good amount for your hard work."

"Hey, how come I don't get paid for this?" Ren objected playfully.

"You live here already despite what happened, right? Plus, your parents keep sending you money anyway."

"Only for tuition fee purposes." He mumbled under his breath.

"Thank you for the offer, but I think it would help Ren-kun here if 15% of my pay in working here goes to him." Sumire tried to negotiate.

_I wonder how would Sumire fare if she was the one trying to negotiate._

"Huh." Sojiro began to calculate the money he will pay her. Knowing that Ren will only have little pay regardless, he countered her offer.

"How about 20% of your pay? Only if you accept the one condition I have for you."

Sumire nods her head sternly.

"Do you happen to go to the University of East Shinjuku?"

"I'm about to enroll there tomorrow with Shiho-san." She replied, earning Ren's ears once more.

"So you also met Shiho?"

"Yeah." She answered sheepishly as she finished her cup.

Sojiro cleared his throat to catch their attention. "Well, he's going to be starting his final year there. Allow him to tutor you while you monitor his progress in his thesis. He's been..... lazy for the past few years."

Ren looked at him with a betrayed expression. "Come on, Sojiro. I still ended up on the dean's list."

"You can't even go beyond the mid-tier rankings, Ren." Futaba joined in. "We expected ya to do better."

Sojiro shook his head. "I had a call from your professor in the university. He's hoping you could begin to show him your ideas on the first day."

Ren groaned. "Fiiiiiine. Kasumi here can be my protege."

Sumire giggled. "That makes you my senpai then! Both in school and in work!"

_This seems fun. I wonder why Sumire won't engage herself in these kind of things._

Sumire then felt a bit uneasy with her thoughts as she tries to figure out why. Ren then snapped her out of her thoughts as he asked her a few questions.

"So... how was gymnastics before the crash?"

"Huh? O-Oh, well nothing in particular."

_Welcome back, me. For a moment there, I thought I lost you...._

"Hmm? What makes you say that?"

"Well, it's just..." Sumire had to think of a good excuse for Ren to believe 'Kasumi'. "I'm just in a slump. That's all."

Ren studied her facial expression. "And this slump is still happening until now?"

Sumire nodded her head slowly. Her eyes then traveled to her feet.

"Ever since the accident, I haven't been feeling myself lately. My performance isn't as spectacular as it was before, and then my coach just told me to take a break."

Truth be told, Sumire actually quit gymnastics for good. How her coach would react to it is up to her.

"So that's why you look troubled." Ren deducted. "Tell you what, how about you and I go walk around Inokashira Park?"

Sumire shot a look at him that said 'Wait, what?!'.

"Huh? That huge park in Kichijoji?"

"Yep. I'm surprised you knew about it already." Ren smiled.

_Oh, shit. That smile of his is so dashing.... I-I-I'm gonna melt..._

"Uh, Kasumi?"

_Oh, right. Kasumi. I'm Kasumi Yoshizawa._

Sumire's thoughts reverted back to her lonesome one. _Of course everything has to be about Kasumi..._

"Kasumi?" Ren kept snapping his fingers in front of her face.

Futaba snickered. "I think you broke her with that smile."

After getting Sumire back to reality, Ren took her to Inokashira Park. As peaceful as this place is, it feels more relaxing when one visits it at night. Sumire began to shake in the middle of their walk, prompting Ren to give her his blazer.

"Feeling okay now?"

Sumire hummed in approval.

_Oh, if only Sumire can see me now.... she'd be pouting for attention from me now._

"Hey, Kasumi..."

"Yes?"

"Are you troubled?"

Sumire stayed quiet for a moment. _He noticed. Oh shit.... Classic Sumire. Can't keep a good mask on._

"N-N-No. Not at all." Her nervous laughter didn't help at all.

"Hmm...."

_Crap, crap, crap!_

"Are you a fan of Risette by any chance?"

Sumire beamed, betraying Kasumi's hatred for pop idols. "Yes! Risette is like a wonderful singer! I just wish I could watch her perform her latest song."

"Beneath the Mask?" He smiled in return. "I didn't know you liked that song."

"Like it? I _love_ it!"

Taking into account that 'Kasumi' has a thing for idols, Ren then flashed her two tickets. "What say we head for the Jazz Jin tonight?"

"Oh my gosh! Are you for real!?"

Ren then explained the the bar attendant, Muhen, gave two tickets to him since his other friend, young detective Goro Akechi, declined to watch Risette tonight.

"Akechi... Akechi... where have I heard that name before?" she muttered to herself.

Ren then distracted her by pulling her close to him, causing her to blush heavily.

"Hey, take a look!"

Sumire turned and saw a family of ducks waddling by the lake. She noticed one duckling straying away from the rest and towards them.

"Oh, no. Hang on, little ducky!"

She looked around and began to take her shoes off and rolled her pants up to knee level to guide the duckling back to the family. After the duckling was returned, she saw Ren with an amused smile.

"Kind soul now, aren't you?"

She blushed and gave a sheepish laugh. Ren gestured her to sit until her feet are dry enough for her to wear her shoes again. Sumire glanced at the ducks one more time.

"Have you ever heard of the story 'The Ugly Duckling?'"

Ren found it interesting that she would bring up something like that. "I have. What about it?"

"Well, I read that story a lot whenever I'm troubled. And honestly, I find myself to be similar to the ugly duckling."

"But you're not ugly though." Ren flirted. "You're like a flawless young woman who has a dear heart that would make my own melt."

_Wow, what smooth tongue you have there. I wonder if- NONONONONONONO! Not those thoughts, Kasu- I mean, Sumire...._

"T-T-That's not the point! Sometimes, I don't even know where I belong."

"Quite contradictory for your status as an Olympian." He pointed out.

"I know. But sometimes I feel like I keep carrying everything on my shoulders, and once I do the slightest failure...."

".... you may be forgotten or rejected after."

"Y-Yeah..." Her downtrodden face began to shed a few tears. She then felt Ren cuddle her for a bit.

"Don't worry, Kasumi. I'll help you find a place where you belong in the end so you can turn into a beautiful swan.... even if you are already as beautiful as is."

_It's best for Kasumi to find her place in this world more than I would...._

_._

_._

_._

_.... I don't even know where I belong anymore._

Arriving in the Jazz Gin, the two are amazed to find Shiho alone in a table.

"Hey, Kasumi-chan. Ren."

"Shiho-san."

"Shiho. What are you doing here?"

Shiho sighed deeply. "Ann got drunk while Kasumi and I were having our fun in the Seaside Park. After I brought her home, she told me to get lost while she called in some guy to go fuck her again."

"... That bad, huh?" Ren winced.

"No thanks to you. One of these days, I will pair you two up for some counselling...." Shiho turned her eyes to Sumire. "But since your hands are full, I'm gonna have to wait until the time is right."

As soon as Muhen served their drinks, Risette finally shows up and began singing a song no one was familiar with. Something about 'no more what ifs'.

"No More What Ifs." Shiho said the title of her song, which just got released a day ago. "Looks like she decided to show off her new single here."

Sumire indulged herself to the song as it soothed her soul. _No more what ifs, huh? If only that were easy....._

Ren and Shiho noticed the redhead's demeanor and waited until Risette was done. She then approached the three, causing Sumire's eyes to widen in shock.

"Oh, Amamiya-kun! Didn't know you were here." Risette gave him a peck in the cheek.

"Anything to see my old senpai." He smugly grinned.

"Flirtatious as always. Your two girlf-" She cuts her tease when she noticed Sumire.

"Kasumi Yoshizawa. Never knew you were a fan of my music."

_Stay focused!_

"Yeah! I've been listening to your music since _True Story._ I felt how much passion you wanted to tell the world about who the real you is."

Risette felt surprised and sat down with them. "Wow. Number 1 fan mug may go to you."

Ren smiled as he and Shiho listened to Sumire talk to Risette for the rest of the evening. As soon as Risette bade farewell after the hearty conversation, Shiho went home ahead while reminding Sumire of her enrollment tomorrow. Ren offered to walk her home, but she politely declined.

"Thanks for the offer, Ren-senpai. But Ann-san might grill me if she saw you with me and all."

Ren winced again. "Yeah. You got a point."

Sumire accidentally crossed the line when she asked about his relationship with Ann.

".... it's complicated. Though I want you to do me and Shiho a favor."

"Shoot."

"Comfort Ann in any way possible. She can be very emotional despite her cheery attitude, and like us.... she's having a rough time. I can't do it, but maybe you can."

Sumire nods her head. "Alright. You can count on dear ol' Kasumi here!"

_Wait a sec. I can't help Ann-san on this one! I don't even know what her problem is!_

"But if things go south, there's nothing I can do about it."

_Good girl, Kasumi. Always prioritize yourself when things go bad._

Ren just nods and looks at the moon. "Hopefully, things won't go south. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sure!"

Sumire then made her way home and finds Ann naked and passed out on the couch.

_She'll figure it out in the morning._

As she looked at her phone, she noticed that she had a photo with Risette, Ren, and Shiho.

_Wait, why is Risette here? Do I suddenly like idols now? Well, whatever it was, I think I'll keep it for now. Too good of a photo to delete. Maybe it'll boost my fans...._

Sumire clutched her head as she felt pain sting in her brain.

_What fans? I have clearly no fans at all! Who would want to look up to me, a good-for-nothing Yoshizawa who excels only in getting others into trouble?_

Sumire couldn't sleep properly that night. Even to the point where dragging and dressing up Ann in her room was tiring enough to make her sleep.

The next day, Sumire and Shiho went to the University of East Shinjuku for her enrollment. While waiting for the redhead, Shiho decided to put on her headphones and listen to music, unaware of what passing students said next.

_Hey, Sumire Yoshizawa is here._

_Ugh, why couldn't it be her sister? Like, having a celebrity attend our school would be the bomb!_

_Does she even look like the type who wants to learn? Her face is always sad as if she hates the world and stuff._

_Angsty bitch. She should've been the one hospitalized instead of Kasumi._

While in the dean's office, Sumire officially enrolls herself as Sumi Yoshizawa and is assigned with a partnered teacher to guide her throughout college.

"Hello there. My name is Takuto Maruki, a teacher in the Psychology department of the university. Although I am of no use in your course as a culinary student, I will do my best to help you out in any way I can."

_Psychology department, huh? Ren-senpai must be under him._

After greeting each other, Sumire exits the room and taps Shiho's shoulder. Shiho takes a look at her schedule and ID.

"Sumi Yoshizawa?"

Sumire gave a forced smile. "It's better if people can just call me that. I want people to me as a person, not as an athlete nor my sister."

"Well, most of your classes end at 4 pm on the dot." Shiho analyzed the schedule. "We could find you a part-time job until then."

"I found one, actually."

"Good." Shiho gave her a smile. "Did you save the photo of us with Risette?"

"Who?"

Shiho furrowed her brows. "You know... Risette. The idol. We took a pic with her last night."

Sumire pulled her phone out and nearly dropped it when her headache returned.

"Shit."

_The hell is a headache gotta do with me!? I, Kasumi Yoshizawa, NEVER get headaches!_

"You okay?" Shiho helped her up.

"I-I'm fine. Thanks."

Sumire then checked the phone and found the group photo in the Jazz Gin. After sending a copy to Shiho, she immediately went back to Ann's condominium and napped for the rest of the late morning/early afternoon.

_What is going on with me?_

_Pull yourself together, Kasumi! Remember what coach said!_

_No! I can't keep up. I have no worth in gymnastics!_

_Kasumi! Stay focused! You ain't getting everything in life if you can't gun to the top!_

_No... this isn't me!_

"Get out of my head!" She screamed as she placed a pillow on her face.

_What's wrong with me?_

_Ren won't like it if I'm just going to stay here and do nothing...._

_No! He wouldn't even care if you won't show up._

"I SAID GET OUT!" She threw the pillow to the door and sobbed as more voices went to echo in her head.

_Ren-senpai is waiting for me already. No wait... he waiting for Kasumi._

_Who am I kidding? He won't look for Sumire. He just wants Kasumi and Kasumi only._

_But then that night in the park..... that idol...._

_I don't even know anymore..._

Outside the door, Ann noticed how furious Sumire was. She then looked in the mirror and gave a worried look.

"I should apologize to her soon for what she saw last night." She muttered. "I hope no one would tell her about me...."

If only Sumire can stop crying first.....

_Kasumi.... Why is it everyone admires Kasumi...._

_._

_._

_._

_..... Why can't anyone care about me?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, uh, 'The Ugly Duckling' is something Sumire would read when she thinks she is of no use. Although she saw that the end resulted in the duckling becoming a swan, she doubted that it'll happen to her.....  
> .  
> .  
> ...... BUUUUUUT this is just a foreshadowing.
> 
> Ah, more mental conflicts from Sumire. She can't tell if she'll stay as Kasumi for a while or try to show them the side that she wants to show. Like admiring idols, for instance, or helping the little duckling who got lost return to its family.
> 
> With Sumire officially enrolled, can she survive her first month in college without suffering a breakdown? Well, Ren and Shiho will be there, but can she handle the pressure alone without her senpais around all the time?
> 
> Stay tuned for the next chapter, "A Loner"......


	5. A Loner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> After an introduction by Ren puts her thoughts in a mix, Sumire begins to experience what a date feels like. After enrolling with Shiho, she suddenly suffers a breakdown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all! New chapter!
> 
> So our dear Sumire is about to begin college. What's in store for her?
> 
> Also, I uploaded this chapter due to the fact that everything I planned for the weekend got cancelled at the last minute due to quarantine reasons. So yeah. Sched is now wide open for me to handle both The Epilogue Files and this.
> 
> As for the questions that would be laid down during her classes from this chapter until the later chapters.... I am only remembering its origins and whatnot based on what I learned from quick trivias and a few random discussions that were held back in high school. So if I'm mistaken or if I lack description on it, feel free to tell me.
> 
> Now.... let's go to the story!

One week later, classes began in U.E.S. as Sumire gets mixed feelings for attending the school.

_Damnit, I feel so nervous. Not having Kasumi around is scary._

_No! I'm Kasumi Yoshizawa. I am not afraid of anything...._

_...Wait! I'm still Sumire! Stay with me, me! There's a good reason why you put Sumi Yoshizawa in your I.D.!_

The moment she entered the campus, all eyes went on her. As per advise by Ann before she left, she puts on her headphones and makes her way towards her classroom. Unfortunately, she read every students' mouths and movements and began to feel uneasy when a familiar touch scared her and made her fall down.

"Hey, Kasumi!"

"EEP!"

"Hey! What are y'all laughing at? Get lost, morons!"

_Sheesh, Suzui is at it again._

_Bitch thinks she owns the school with that attitude._

_Well, her and that worthless Yoshizawa twin would get along really fine since they both don't have sports to do and suck dick after._

"I heard that, Nishiyama! Wanna say that to my face instead?" Shiho's cheery mood faded away after the students loitering in the courtyard went away. She then helped up Sumire and fixed her appearance.

"Jeez, even in college... What dickwads." She cursed.

"Do you endure this everyday?" Sumire carefully asked. Shiho sighed deeply and responded with a frown.

"It's nothing, Kasumi. It could be worse...."

As the two arrived in the second floor of the Hotel and Restaurant Management building, Shiho began to gawk at the laboratories.

"Holy shit, I wish I took up Culinary Arts in this school."

"Well, I always wanted to improve my cooking when I grow up. So I figured taking this course would suit me just fine."

Shiho's ears perked when she didn't hear a hint of her future.

"Wait, you don't want to be a chef or have a restaurant of your own?"

Sumire then stayed quiet and tapped her cheek.

_Now that I think about, I don't even have a clear future since I'm indulged with gymnastics._

"I'm not sure. Only thing keeping me here is my status as a gymnast, and I'm not even feeling well yet."

Shiho frowned again. "Well, just tell me if you're being bothered on your first day of classes. Okay?"

Sumire nods as she and Shiho parted ways for class to start.

Although she heard that first days of school in college are laxxed since it's the adjustment period, the Culinary Arts faculty are already busy and began to give them basics and introductions to their lessons. Sumire eagerly listened to the discussions despite getting a few papers thrown onto her head from behind.

_They're just children, Kasumi. Problematic, unhealthy children._

Sumire then frowned after realizing what her mind just said.

_Sums up me in a nutshell. Way to go, Sumire._

One of the teachers, Sadayo Kawakami, then called her out to answer a question.

"Sumi Yoshizawa. The gymnast scholar."

"Yes?"

Much like Sumire, Kawakami is annoyed the mutters of her class. "Pipe down, will you? How did pizza became a thing back then during olden times?"

Sumire thought carefully. _Pizza is an Italian dish. Kasumi doesn't like it much, but she's missing out on a lot of things. Now for how it began, it was supposed to be...._

"It was supposed to be a cheesy pie to be served to guests. One day, the pies were suddenly deflated and became flat and half-burned. However, the mix of the cheese in it was blended with the dough and gave it flavor, so the cooks improvised it by introducing it as a new dish with several toppings to match the guest's tastes."

Kawakami smiled at how she got it right. "Excellent, Yoshizawa-san! As expect from a gymnast."

"Thank you very much!"

"That reminds me. Next month, you will be cooking your own pizza in the cooking labs. Anyone tampering with the others' outputs will be marked with a failing grade. UNDERSTOOD?"

The class nods as the bell rang. Sumire remained in the classroom as Kawakami approached her.

"You feeling okay?"

"I think so."

_You're clearly not okay!_

"Don't let it bother you, alright? I may be a faculty member under the Commerce Department and handle Restaurant Management, but I also do a few minor subjects like basic English, General History, and Literature due to the sudden lack of teachers in the university."

Sumire was shocked to hear that the university lacked a few teachers. "What happened to them?"

"A student named Ren Amamiya was involved in a testimony that came along with his record from not too long ago."

"He's a criminal?" She blurted by accident.

_A criminal? But he looks so innocent at first sight. I know that I like bad boys and all, but..._

_Stay focused, Kasumi! Who knows what he'll do t-_ _Damnit! Sumire, stay awake!_

"That was the first impression. Everyone avoided him back in high school, according to his personal interview. It was only after he entered college that half the faculty of the school began to worry. The end result..." Kawakami sighed in disbelief. "... some of them were keeping tabs on Ren under Masayoshi Shido's orders. His success was not meant to happen."

Sumire then pondered. _What cruel person would put Ren-senpai in such trouble? I should ask him this soon._

Sumire's phone buzzed and as she pulled it out and unlocked it, Kawakami took a quick glance at her wallpaper.

"So you met him already."

Sumire tensed up. "I'm sorry!"

Kawakami, however, laughed and told her not to apologize.

"It's actually been a while since I saw Amamiya-kun smile. Last I heard, he was just beginning college with Takamaki-san, Suzui-san, and Sakamoto-kun... then he and Takamaki were dating... then poof!"

_WHAT?! Ren and Ann used to date together!?_

Kawakami noticed her facial expression and gave her a smug grin. "You're feeling a bit uneasy there after I said that. Are you jealous perhaps?"

Sumire intensely turned red and waved her hands rapidly. "N-N-N-No!"

Despite her amusement, the teacher had to leave her blushing as she went to her next class.

The rest of the day went by and Sumire still received negative impressions from everyone. The moment her classes are done, she waited for Shiho in the courtyard and began reading a book.

"Some snacks are exclusively found in the Philippines. One example is the _sorbetes_ , or dirty ice cream when translated, which is quite contradictory to its name. It is only a term used for people selling cheap, single-flavored ice cream stored in metal tubs as the seller goes around town calling everyone's attention with a bell. The _sorbetes_ can be served through cone or cup-"

Her reading was interrupted by Ren, who closed her eyes from behind.

"Who is this?! Is this some sick prank!?" She began to panic.

_Wait... that smell... Coffee..._

She grabbed the hands covering her eyes and turned around.

"Senpai!"

"Sorry. Was cute to find you reading a book about ice cream." He said as he sat next to her.

Sumire blushed. "C-C-Cute? I-I-I-"

Ren chuckled, prompting the redhead to pout at him.

"You're mean, Ren-senpai."

"Ah, but you still liked it anyway." He flirted as she resumed reading.

"Another example is the _piyaya_ , or flavored flat bread. It is a dessert that is baked with hot contents stored despite its flat appearance. NO WAY!"

Ren smiled at her curious amusement when Shiho and Maruki approach them.

"Kasumi! Ren!"

"Kasumi?"

"Yeah. You read her ID, right?"

"Yeah. Wait, ARE YOU TELLING ME THIS IS KASUMI YOSHIZAWA?!" Maruki's reaction was priceless as his sudden slide resulted in Shiho catching him in a bridal carry.

"Uh... thanks?"

Shiho puts him back up and cleared her throat. "Twas nothin', Doc."

Sumire hid behind Ren, for some reason.

_Wait a second, why am I behind Senpai? This is Shiho-senpai and Dr. Maruki...._

"Kasumi, you can let go of my jacket now."

Sumire realized her grip was in his jacket and slowly lets go.

_Way to make a first impression again, Kasumi._

"Sorry for scaring you like that." Maruki apologized as he extended his hand. 'Welcome to U.E.S., by the way."

Sumire shook his hand as Shiho then asked her about her first day.

"I....."

Maruki saw her expression and figured it out. "People still bullying you, huh?"

"Yeah." She honestly replied. "It was always like this in high school."

Ren pats on the bench for Shiho and Maruki to sit as Sumire continued.

"At first, I would just shrug it off because they're jealous of my talent as a gymnast..."

_Lies._

"But as the years went by, it affected my sister as well and we both became disturbed by it."

_More lies._

Ren looked at her eyes as they began to glisten. She's on the verge of crying.

"But then the bullying didn't end in school. It also happened in gymnastics practice as well...."

Sumire began to bring back bad memories as the three ravenheads watch her.

_Take a look! Copycat sister was too pathetic to even try hard._

_Sumire-chan ain't even gonna win at all! Maybe she should just quit._

_It's no use teaching a brat gymnastics if she'll just cry about it._

_No place for a whore like you here._

"STOP IT!"

Her outburst startled Ren and Shiho while Maruki observed Sumire's emotions. _She's in pain... Something's bothering her._

"Ren, a word with you?" He asked the boy to talk to him privately while Shiho rubbed her back to comfort her.

"Ssshhhh, it's okay. We're here, Kasumi."

_Kasumi.... they only want to comfort Kasumi...._

_._

_._

_.... What about me? I'm hurting more than she is...._

"You're serious?"

"Mm-hmm."

"But my thesis-"

"Your thesis on 'multiple personas leading to a psychological damage that would result to false identity and a broken cognition' can be juggled with how you'll be handling her."

"This thesis is my best chance, Doc."

"And so is Yoshizawa's well-being. I remember Suzui-san when she first came here.... please help her, Ren. Do the very thing I couldn't do to Rumi."

Ren looked at him with both seriousness and worry. "Still not gonna let go of that day, huh?"

Maruki removed his glasses to wipe them clean. "Nope. The damage is done, and so I've been fated to never see her again."

Ren looked back at the girls, then faced Maruki again. _What can I do?_

"Be her friend here. I know that your schedule is a huge opening, so if you have the time..."

Ren nods his head. "Alright. I just need her schedule and room assignments."

"Well, actually... I took a look at her room assignments. She'll be sharing a class with you tomorrow and Thursday while she shares a class with Suzui-san on Friday."

Ren smiled. "Thanks for heads-up. I won't let you and her down."

Maruki chuckled as he noticed Shiho walking their way. "And probably her as well."

Before Ren could turn, Shiho karate-chops his head. "Asshole."

"What did I do?"

"Go bring her to LeBlanc or something. Make her calm down."

As Ren made his way to Sumire, Maruki informed Shiho of her schedule and assignments for the rest of the semester.

Three weeks have passed, and Sumire is getting more distant towards her classmates. With Ann gone for a filming schedule, she has the condominium to herself. But with her part-time job in LeBlanc with Ren, she can only use the bedroom and kitchen of Ann's unit before passing out. As for her schooling, the more correct answers she gives, the more paper balls being thrown at her head by bored, good-for-nothing students. And despite Ren and Shiho sharing classrooms with her within the week, their busy schedules made things anxious for the redhead.

_Why would they even bother? They're too busy._

_Not worth their time. Give it up, Sumire._

_No... I still have to do what Kasumi would do._

_But then...._

Sumire pulled out Kasumi's notebook and checked what was next on her list. "Win the Interschool Winter Gymnastics held in East Shinjuku."

Her eyes widened in horror. It was clearly bad news.

_No...... Are you shitting me?!_

_Get it together, Sumire! You have to win this for Kasumi!_

_Kasumi.... people want Kasumi to win._

_They only want Kasumi._

_The-_

A knock on the door saved her from going beyond as she opens it. In front of her was Futaba, who decided to crash in Ann's place after Sojiro caught her looking at porn during her shift in LeBlanc.

"Why would you even...."

"I didn't mean it on purpose, okay!? Inari just told me to find a photo of a naked girl with 'the perfect body' and then Dad caught me sneaking a peek at the peaks and told me to take a three-hour time out!" Futaba expressed her anger as she laid down on the couch before complaining. "Why does this smell like Ann mixed with a guy?"

"Uhh.... Um.... I-"

"You know what? Forget that I said anything." She took a look at Sumire's notebooks and saw how studious she is.

"Wow. For an gymnast with a scholarship, you take notes like a regular student."

Confused by what she meant, Sumire asked for clarification. "What do you mean, Futaba?"

Futaba then waved her notebook around and commented. "You're taking way too much notes. I thought athletic scholars should focus on their sports to survive college."

Sumire gave her a glare which made the orange-headed techie back down from her remarks.

"Not all the time." She huffed as she looked at the secret notebook again.

_"Win the Interschool Winter Gymnastics held in East Shinjuku."_

The achievement made by her ambitious sister began to haunt her.

_I can't do this.... I can't perfect Kasumi's performance!_

"Hey! Is the curry almost done?" Futaba ran her mouth as she snapped back to reality. After eating dinner, Futaba borrowed some of Ann's DVDs of the Neo Featherman remake.

"One reason to be friends with Ann.... Now I can go criticize her acting. Mwehehehehe."

Sumire left her alone and went out for a walk.

Walking towards Shibuya can be tiring for one person, but for Sumire... it's just like practice. Except, it's more on the legs and mind than any other muscle.

"Am I really capable of doing this? What if I get found out?" She muttered to herself as she passed by Harajuku. She took a look at a store that had clothes only Kasumi would look good in: sexy, fitting, attractive, and even chic. Sumire looked at herself in the mirror and removed her ponytail as she frowned sadly.

"It's no use. I can pretend to be Kasumi all I want for everyone's sake, but in the end I'm just a mess..."

She continued walking to Shibuya until she reached the residential area. Noticing a old house surrounded by police tape, she changed her position and continued walking until she reached Central Street. On her left was a movie theatre that was showing "Servant in Central Park", an American film that obviously doesn't suit her taste. She then approaches Big Bang Burger, an establishment that was rocked with a scandal after the company's president was found guilty of overworking his employees to death, budget cuts that never had any compensation and benefit for its employees, the sudden turnovers that was caused by abusive management, and sabotage of other establishments for the sake of success.

Left with no other option, she entered Big Bang Burger and ate alone. She looked at the picture frames of certain winners of the old Big Bang Burger challenge and found Ren eating a huge hamburger with a cocky smile. Surrounding him were Ann, Shiho, and a blonde boy. Wait a minute...

_Wait a minute..... I've seen him before._

Despite her attempt to remember, she gives up and continues eating.

The day where she has to make a pizza of her own has arrived. Applying what she learned in class, she intentionally stations herself in the back so she can focus on making her dish. Kawakami noticed her composure in preparing the pizza dough and took note of it before she mentioned how many minutes they have left. Sumire then pulls out a small box of shrimps, apples, diced pork, mozzarella cheese, olives, and sliced dory (which she bought with the money she earned from LeBlanc instead of money she withdrew a month ago) and began to top her pizza with it before seasoning it with parmesan cheese and a pinch of pepper. After placing it in the oven, her mind began to race as she noticed Kawakami writing down something in her notepad.

Fifteen minutes passed, and she pulls out her pizza to see its perfection. Kawakami kept a close eye on the students near her and observed Sumire slice her pizza and wait until her classmates are done. Looking at the ever-so-tired teacher, Sumire watched her grab a slice and taste it. Much her surprise, Kawakami's eyes widened as she smiled with joy.

"Holy shit, this is good!" She noticed her class staring. "I mean... Excellent work, Yoshizawa."

Internally, Sumire screamed with joy. _Someone liked my bad pizza! Holy crap!_

One of her classmates grabbed a slice and cut it into pieces for his friends to eat, and they had the same reaction before pretending they hated it.

_Jealous of my skills now, aren't you?_

After the timer went zero, Kawakami called out each student to show them their grade of the output. When Sumire was called, she took a peak and saw that she nailed a perfect score. Unable to keep her excitement, she shouted from the top of her lungs before blushing.

"YAY! I DID IT!"

Suddenly, Ren knocked on the door and alerted Sumire.

"Hello."

"Eek!"

Ren caught her hand before she fell on her butt. Whispers began to be heard after such action was done.

"Can't stay up with your feet, huh?"

"S-S-Sorry, Senpai."

Ren then looked at Kawakami. "So... how was she?"

Kawakami showed him her score and his facial expression became an impressed one. He asked Sumire for one slice, but she gave him two slices instead.

"I'll make sure Shiho tastes this, alright?" He winked, causing Sumire to blush further. He takes a bite at it and gave an amused hum as he ate the rest of the slice.

"Well, I'll be damned. Impressive pizza."

"T-Thank you."

He then nods at the both of them and her classmates before leaving.

Despite what she did, she still remained lonely. Having free time, she went to LeBlanc to work but frowned when Sojiro informed her that Ren is busy with the errands in Ginza. She worked alone and, although there were a handful of customers, still managed to keep herself composed. When Sojiro instructed her to wait for Ren so they can close, Sumire just made her pizza once again with whatever equipment LeBlanc had. After it was done, she was about to eat it on her own when Ren arrived.

"So-rry-was-run-ning!" He was so out of breath that Sumire rushed to help him.

"What happened, Senpai?"

"The trains... they suddenly stopped. Had to wait 20 minutes until they ran again. Then I had my wallet snatched before I tackled the bastard who took it. As for the groceries... safe and sound."

He flashed the groceries he did with a toothy grin. Sumire giggled.

"Oh, Senpai.... what am I ever gonna do you?"

Ren noticed the pizza on the counter. "You made that again?"

Sumire pouted. "What? It's my best dish so far!"

"I know, I know. Lemme call Sojiro and Futaba so they can have a t-"

"NO!" Sumire slammed his hand onto the table. "Sakura-san told me not to cook anything aside from the house curry. I.... I'll get in trouble if he finds out."

Ren looked at how desperate Sumire wants things to keep to herself. "Why'd you cook it then, Kasumi?"

"It's just..... aside from the stuff in Ann-san's kitchen, this is the first meal I've had with my hard-earned work, hard-earned money, and hard-earned success. For me.... it's already a personal achievement."

She then heard a chuckle from Ren.

"Everything's a competition to you, huh? With all the 'achievements' and stuff."

Sumire frowned. "Sorry."

"Don't be."

"Huh?"

Ren then held her hand gently after releasing her grip. "If that's what makes others hate you, then I wouldn't care anyway. That's a side of you that you should be proud of...."

Sumire blushed at the sight of their fingers laced together. Her mind began to race.

"And Kasumi."

And her thoughts went back to.... blank?

"If it makes you feel better.... we're both lonely people despite our happy-go-lucky demeanor."

Sumire smiled and then tightened her fingers on his.

"Shall we have dinner then?"

_Tonight's dinner..... wasn't for Kasumi....._

_._

_._

_.... it was for me and him. Oh, if only things were different...._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're wondering what emotion her final thoughts were, it was more on romantic regret. Majority of her felt like it was unique for herself, but because she had to keep the facade up... she can't fully enjoy it.
> 
> As for her pizza scene, the ingredients she used for the toppings was quite a dish that I got hungry for it while writing this chapter.
> 
> With her night ending with Ren and removing a part of her loneliness, what's next for our dear heroine when she encounters a friend's problem? Stay tuned for her actions in "The Friend In Need"!


	6. The Friend In Need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Sumire manages to make an impression in her first month of school. She also manages to woo Ren further by being herself, at the very least, despite keeping the Kasumi facade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a reason why I changed the rating to M.......
> 
> To give ya a heads-up, this is one of a few chapters that will be R-rated due to whatever the scenario of the story is going to be. But then again, that's kinda why the 'Eventual Smut' tag is there for. So, uh, be prepared for when the time comes.
> 
> So while I'm working on the next epilogue for The Epilogue Files as well as the next chapter of this story... Have this as a bonus!
> 
> On to the story!

A week after her pizza success, Sumire began to improve on a few things and took more notes in class. This baffles both her classmates and teachers while it impresses Ren, Shiho, Kawakami, and......

"Yoshizawa-san."

"Yes, Dr. Maruki?"

The scruffy-haired psychologist asked her a question. "In social psychology, what would be the possible scenario if a large crowd who followed on a trend are convinced enough by a small opposition and immediately went along with it?"

Sumire gulped and began to answer while dodging one of the papers thrown at her. "It could be the doing of minority influence. For as long as the minority holds enough reason and justification in their beliefs, thoughts, or even the simplest answer, a portion of a huge crowd can turn tail and make a difference."

Clapping his hands, Maruki was fascinated by Sumire's studious nature despite how meek she is. As the bell rang, she immediately ran to Ren's class and waited for him. Coincidentally, Maruki was waiting for him as well.

"Oh, Yoshizawa-san." He gave a soft smile. "What brings you here?"

"Oh, Dr. Maruki!" She gave a bow in return. "I'm waiting for Senpai, actually."

"Are you two going on a date, by any chance?" He asked curiously.

"WHA- N-N-No! We're certainly not dating....."

_I wish we were, though. Ren-senpai can't resist the one, the only... Kas- WAIT, WHAT AM I SAYING??_

"O-Oh. My bad." Maruki scratched his head awkwardly. "I just thought that-"

Ren exits the classroom as he is finished from hearing a lecture about Gestalt counselling.

"God, that took forever."

"Well, hello Senpai." Sumire greeted with a smile.

"Hey, Kasumi."

She frowned without him noticing. _Right. Kasumi._

"Doc, about my research.... do you think we could head out to Akosho Asylum tonight for a reservation for an interview with one of the inmates?"

Maruki's eyes widened with shock while Sumire's eyes widened with curiosity.

"Is that your thesis, Senpai?"

"Yeah. I'm currently looking into-"

Ren abruptly stopped after he realized the confidentiality of the thesis.

"Sorry. I forgot I can't tell you about this just yet."

Sumire gave a disappointed expression, but told him that she understood.

"Well, shall we go?" Ren turned to Sumire. "Boss told us to take a day off. Sooooo go have some fun with either Futaba or Shiho."

"Alright, Senpai."

After bidding the two men farewell, Sumire searched the entire campus for Shiho. After getting frustrated with her search, she left her a few messages to meet her in the front gate.

Already seven in the evening, and Sumire grew tired of waiting for Shiho. She somberly picks up her bag and began to explore Shinjuku for a bit until she stumbled upon the red light district. Seeing a small store selling plants, she went on and bought a cactus for her to keep herself sane.

_As far as I remember, Kasumi and I used to do gardening. Hopefully, this will be a buffer from making me go insane._

She suddenly looked at a small alleyway from the corner of her eye.

"Shiho-senpai?"

Nearby was Shiho, but she was wearing a silk dress and a headband with bunny ears as she followed a man in a suit. Sumire carefully followed her until she spots the ravenette engaging in something very indecent, mortifying Sumire.

_What the f- Suzui-senp- what are you...._

The hums coming from Shiho grow louder as the man in front of her began counting money. Sumire attempted to sneak away when she accidentally stumbled a trash can, alerting the two as she ran off with a bright red face.

Arriving back in the condo unit, Sumire began panting heavily at what she just witnessed.

"Shiho-san... was... doing..."

_I can't believe what I just saw. Why was Shiho-senpai giving that man a fellatio? Take dirty thoughts away, Sumire.... TAKE THOSE DIRTY THOUGHTS AWAY!_

Sumire did everything she can to remove the thought until she heard knocking on the door. She tensed up.

_Could it be Shiho-san?_

Peeping through the small glass, Sumire began to shake.

_"Hello? Kasumi-chan?"_

"Sh-Sh-Sh-Shiho-senpai?"

On the other side of the door, Shiho's knees began to shake.

"Um, did I come at a wrong time?"

 _"No! Not at all."_ Sumire's audible nervous laughter didn't help Shiho.

Sumire quickly unlocked the door and lets Shiho in.

"Thanks. I could really use some hot coffee or ginger tea." Shiho said as she rummaged in the fridge for a sachet of tea.

Sumire then observed her appearance. _Her headband is gone, her knees are shaking, her dress seems.... stained.... her butt looks so round and- SUMIRE STOP PERVING ON GIRLS!_

Sumire then covered her face as she forced herself to think like Kasumi.

_She did something indecent. That doesn't mean you've done something indecent._

_This is only a concern for her, not for you._

Eventually, she gave up and ran to her room. Shiho looked at the door with bewilderment as she checked her lips.

_Damnit, I knew that guy was sloppy._

She immediately wiped it off and approached Sumire's door.

 _No point in hiding it now, I guess._ "Hello? Kasumi? I'm, uh, sorry for looking like this if it makes you feel embarrassed or anything."

Sumire responded with a high, panicked voice. _"Embarrassed? I'm not embarrassed! I'm just disappointed, that's all."_

Shiho got the wrong impression and yelled. "Don't try to fuck with me! I know you caught me back there in the red-light district!"

Sumire froze. _She found out...._

 _"I know you saw me do.... that."_ A deep sigh can be heard then from Shiho. _"I'll tell you everything. Please come out."_

_What should I do?_

_This is her problem from the beginning. I can't entirely help her._

_But she's my friend.... a friend who is a possible prostitute. I can't be associated with bad people._

_It won't hurt until I try, I guess...._

Sumire carefully opened the door and sees Shiho sitting on the arm of the couch with an ashamed expression.

"You knew?"

The ravenette pulled out Sumire's ID. "You dropped this, you know."

_Classic Sumire. Leaving evidence in your first stealth mission._

Without hesitation, Shiho takes off her dress and reveals a lot of markings all over her body.

"If you want to ask, the answer is yes." She inhaled deeply before speaking again. "I work as a prostitute sometimes when I begin running out of money."

Sumire locks the door to make sure no one- not even Futaba- will walk in.

"But why, Shiho-senpai? Why sell your body to strangers?"

Covering her body with the dress, Shiho began to explain more. "Remember my reaction last month when Ann was talking about how high school sucked for us?"

Sumire nods. "Yeah. You had quite an angry reaction."

"Well, to finish what Ann was about to say...." She felt tears about to stream down her face. "The coach of the volleyball team raped me when Ann refused to sleep with him. I dunno if she actually did, but being molested and forced onto by a person I trusted to make my dream come true...... It broke me. So much."

She then began crying. "When my mom and dad found out, they were furious and filed charges against him. But the school didn't do anything.... not until Ren released a footage of my incident."

"Wait, how did Ren-senpai catch footage?" Sumire was hoping Ren wasn't a sick bastard for recording a rape incident.

"He and his friend Sakamoto suspected the coach to be a very evil person, so they were hoping that physical abuse would be caught on camera. But when the police arrested that man, they mentioned the footage and played it in the faculty office. The principal tried to cover it up by saying it's a porn video... but his physique and mine are unavoidable."

Sumire then began to heat some water and gave Shiho some of her clothes.

"Thank you." She gave a weak smile while wiping off the tears. "But it didn't stop there. I became the talk of the town for a while when I entered college without a recommendation letter. A few boys would harass me during class while some men would lure me for sex on my way home."

Sumire carefully asked her. "So... the man earlier.... did he-"

"NO!"

Sumire jumped at the sudden rage Shiho displayed. The latter regained her composure and apologized.

"So when my family had to be sent to Nagasaki for a field operation that would last nearly 3 years.... I managed on my own with my part-time job as a coach for kids in a training camp. But I got desperate for money later on, and so one day I decided to play dress-up in Shinjuku. A man offered me 100,000 yen for just a blowjob, so I did it. The next week, one wanted to make me give him a boobjob for 150,000. And the rest.... is all fucking history."

Sumire remained quiet. She carefully had her thoughts process what she just heard.

_Damnit, Kasumi! You should have been friends with better people. A girl like her is bad for your reputation._

_But then... she's been through a lot. Forced to do this for the sake of money for school._

_Only Sumire would try to be friends with her. Maybe being fools is a good thing for h-_

_NO! I AM SUMIRE BY HEART! I WILL NOT LET SHIHO-SENPAI SUFFER!_

_Yeah, but remember: You are Kasumi to her, not fickle Sumire._

"You never told anyone about this, Shiho-senpai?" Her eyes were close to tearing up.

Shiho wept as the kettle whistled. Knowing the answer, Sumire just prepared her teacup and placed it on the table in front of them as she gave Shiho a hug.

"Sssshhhh.... it's okay, Shiho-senpai." She rubbed her bare back gently. "I promise I'll find a solution for this."

"...How?"

Sumire looked at Shiho, who pushed her away gently from the hug. "How can you help me? We only know each other for one fucking month...."

Sumire studied Shiho's body again. Handmarks, bruises, and hickeys covered her from chest to toe.

"I know this will be difficult... but how about you work part-time with us in LeBlanc?"

Shiho flinched for a sec. Sumire took notice and apologized.

"It's no use, Kasumi. I can't find a solution for this... not a permanent one."

Sumire's face of concern turned into one of anger. "So you're saying you're fine with engaging sex against your will?"

"What? Hell no! I-"

"From the way I see it, the desperation inside you is the one forcing you to do it. You just showed your discomfort in doing this, yet you just... just... resort to this as if you'll die when you don't!"

Shiho began to feel both scared and surprised at the sudden attitude change in Sumire.

"Kasumi-chan..."

"Please reconsider this, Shiho-senpai. If you get.... preg-preg-preg-"

_You're suddenly choking on your words!? Come on!_

"....pregnant, then what would your family say when they find out again that their own loving daughter has done something reckless?!"

"Don't fucking push my buttons, Yoshizawa!"

What was supposed to be a comforting talk became an argument.

"Oh, I will push those buttons. I'm not gonna let anyone force you to push theirs."

"Don't play hero here, gymnast. Whatever they taught you back in Okinawa is pure bullshit here in Tokyo!"

"Well, maybe running away from home was a good idea then!"

Shiho halted in her argument, dropping the clothes she was just holding. "Wait, what?"

_Shit. You compromised yourself, Kasumi!_

"I.... uh...."

"You ran away from home? But why?"

Sumire was now cornered. She had to make another excuse, but she knows countering it with Shiho's prostitution is a bad idea.

"I don't want people's expectations on me anymore. So I ran."

_I just don't want people to blame me anymore for everything. I'm too tired and broken to hear my family hurt me with more words._

Shiho sat back down and asked Sumire to turn around as she dressed. But the redhead refused.

"You showed me your naked body, and now you want me to turn around?"

Shiho tried her best to pull off a snark. "Well, you've been red from looking at my body until I told my story."

"T-T-Touche." _I give up._

Shiho giggled a bit after putting on shorts. "For a gymnast who is bound to wear leotards all the time, you seem conscious with a naked body."

"I'm just.... not comfortable at looking at those marks on your body."

Shiho suddenly went quiet before she tried to begging her.

"Please don't tell anyone about this."

"But what if you were caught already by someone?" Sumire pushed forward.

"Kasumi-chan, pl-"

"I'm adamant with my stance to help you stop your prostitution."

Shiho sighed in defeat as she then drank her tea. "Fine. You win."

Sumire then picks up her dress and begins washing it while Shiho relaxes until she sleeps. Looking at the ravenette, Sumire takes her ponytail off and lets her hair flow down before kissing her forehead.

"Sleep well, my friend. I promise you a happy ending."

As for the sleepyhead, only one thought came in her mind.

_Kasumi Yoshizawa, the famous Olympian, ran away from home? I wonder why.... Her answer wasn't enough to convince me._

Over the weekend, Sumire began researching on Shiho's incident back in high school and tried to link it to the principal's cover-up. It was there and then that Masayoshi Shido's name came up once again, prompting Sumire to wonder why this man is involved against Ren and Shiho. Declining the time to work in LeBlanc and hanging out with Ren or Futaba, she then finds a solution for her friend and invites her over to the condo.

"You're joking, are you?" Shiho's facial expression was that of an annoyed one as Sumire began explaining.

"It'll definitely suit you well!"

"I can't be a gambler, Kasumi! My luck is always low!" She protested.

"But look at the prize money!"

_This is suicide, Sumire. Don't do this...._

"2 million yen for a 15-round Tycoon match? You nuts?"

"Please, Shiho-senpai." Sumire went downcast. "It.... It hurts me to see you in pain."

"Look, I-"

Sumire looked at her with determination. "You're definitely in pain. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. I don't want to hear the words 'I'm okay' unless I get to see that you are okay!"

Knowing that 'Kasumi' hates losing to anything (even an argument), Shiho complied on one condition.

"If I lose, don't even think about talking me out of my prostitution, Yoshizawa. I know you wanna help, but that gambling thing is your only shot to help me. Any more plans, and I will mercilessly decline."

"Deal."

Later on that night, Sumire and Shiho return to the red-light district and located the place where the Tycoon match is taking place. To Shiho's misfortune, she is going up against the men who had sexual intercourse with her.

"Shit. Of all people...."

Sumire pulled her close to her and whispered something.

"You have this. I have faith in you as you have faith in me."

Shiho huffed. "Just a little though."

"Close enough."

Shiho gulped as Sumire carefully observed the opponents. Luckily, they just brushed her off as a nerd; otherwise, having a gymnast engage in illegal gambling is a bad idea.

"This better work...."

12 rounds in, and Shiho became a Tycoon 6 times while her strongest opponent became Tycoon 5 times. Entering Round 13, she was given a lot of small cards. Sumire cursed under her breath.

_If one of them foolishly unleashes a Revolution, Shiho-senpai can win two more rounds before receiving the 2 million yen._

Meanwhile....

_Damnit, why the hell am I given small cards? Is it because they want me to lose?_

Lucky for them, one of them started a Revolution. Shiho was close to countering it before realizing that she'll lose if she does so. After sweeping Round 13 in her favor (and with a Counter Revolution to put fuel to the fire), both girls were now on the edge of their seat as Shiho needs one more win. The next amount of cards are set... and Shiho is given big numbers. To her dismay, the round began with a Revolution. Close to losing, Sumire eyed one of them passing a card to each other while Shiho was focused on her set.

_They're cheating!_

Shiho took the chance when one of them got too confident and placed a Joker card. Having the three of spades, she forces her turn and delivers a Counter Revolution, giving her the win.

"Oh, my God. I won." Shiho couldn't believe it.

"You won!" Sumire hugged her friend dearly.

"I fucking won! Hell yeah!"

Getting the 2 million yen reward, the girls immediately ran off and avoided any seedy bastards trying to catch them in case. Returning to the condo, Shiho popped the case open and confirmed her win.

"I can't believe your stupid gamble made us win!"

"Not us." Sumire spoke. "You. My gamble made YOU win. The money is yours to deserve."

Shiho broke into tears and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you, Kasumi-chan!"

_In the end, she still thanked Kasumi....._

_._

_._

_...... Kasumi wouldn't even bother helping a troubled soul when she encounters one._

Even in her bath, Sumire was still bothered by how Shiho spent her adolescent life defiling herself to desperately earn for school. Her thoughts were broken when she felt her breasts being soaped.

_Mmmmm this feels good. It's as if I am killing two birds with-_

_Wait a minute... I'm shampooing my hair with both my hands.... !!!!!_

"Shiho-senpai!?"

"You were taking long." She continued soaping her body. "Plus don't get any wrong ideas. Ann and I do this a lot.... especially when I suspect her having sex with a guy and his smell lingers on her."

Sumire blushed furiously at the current scenario that is happening now.

_Stay focused, Sumire. This is Shiho-senpai giving us a bath._

_Well, yeah...... I mean, what if it were Ren-senpai's hands that-_

_NONONONONONONONO!_

Shiho noticed Sumire's red face and stopped. "Sorry for, uh, embarrassing you with what may be my weirdest way of repaying you."

"Nononono! It's nothing, really!"

"Really?" She looked at Sumire's body. "Well, you get embarrassed by seeing me naked days ago. Now you're embarrassed by me soaping you."

She squinted her eyes. "You sure you don't.... swing that way? Considering you're a gymnast and all....."

"H-Huh?"

Shiho laughed. "Just kidding. Come on. Let's hurry up in the bath. I wanna talk to you about something.... without us looking at each other's tits."

Sumire hurriedly finished herself as she ran off to her room. After a while, she and Shiho then began to talk with hot chocolate in their hands.

"Exams are coming up soon." Shiho mentioned. "If ever you want me to help in your study time, just tell me. Mmkay?"

Sumire nods. "Yes. Thank you so much."

Shiho shook her head. "No. I should thank you. You're stubborn as hell, but you were a bit resourceful as well."

"T-Thank you, Shiho-senpai."

Sumire looked at Kasumi's notebook again. Shiho noticed and yanked it out of her hand.

"H-Hey!"

"Win the Interschool Winter Gymnastics in East Shinjuku." The black-haired woman read before commenting. "Damn, you knew about that... yet you schooled in East Shinjuku."

"It was the only school that accepted me despite my inconsistency in the entrance exams."

"Wow. Kasumi Yoshizawa having difficulty in applying for college? That sounds impossible."

_Yeah. But for dear old Sumire Yoshizawa.... I barely passed the entrance exam for that school._

Shiho then looked her drink. "Remember I told you I got raped? I tried to kill myself the next day."

!!!

_Shiho-senpai tried to kill herself?_

"I couldn't handle any more of that asshole and his 'love' for volleyball. That bastard just wants glory for himself, and that alone is grounds for Ren and Sakamoto to hate him entirely." She lets a small scoff. "I guess Ann and I were just too weak to see through him. Probably why I tried to jump off the school roof and FAILED at it."

Sumire shook her head. "You're not weak, Shiho-senpai. If anything, you're one of the strongest people I've met. And I couldn't ask for a better friend than you."

Shiho sheds a tear. "Thanks, Kasumi. It's... been a while since someone thought of me like that."

The redhead's brows furrowed. "Huh? What about Ann-san? Or Ren-senpai?"

Shiho then revealed another problem of hers.

".... Ann knows. And that's what's straining our relationship lately."

"But you two look so-"

"Happy? Unfazed by society's crap when paired together? Yeah, right."

Shiho finished her cup. "When Ann found out, it was after her break-up with-"

"Ren-senpai."

"... Yeah. She then scolded me for my prostitution while I scolded her for her alcoholic resort and reckless sex. One of these days, she's gonna get pregnant and she'll be very devastated if the guy denies it."

Sumire observed Shiho closely as her face became scrunched.

"Then that bimbo just had to go and kick me out of the condo after I called her out for sleeping with her co-star. Tch, even if she is the one feeling bitter.... I'm the one who got hurt the most. Another reason why I went for prostitution was out of my own effort to remove the troubling soul in me."

"But you won't be doing it anymore now, right?"

She shook her head, and it was enough for Sumire to grin proudly.

"I have your back like you have mine. Okay?"

"Okay."

After saying good-bye to Sumire, Shiho then made her way to the elevator. She looks at her knee again as she holds onto the money case.

_Damnit, I should ask for her help again soon.... Taking off my desperation is one thing, but the trauma, the injury, and Ann... they're different stories._

As for Sumire, she began to study her notes when her mind began to haunt her.

_Was helping Shiho Suzui worth it?_

_Making her stop prostitution is one thing, but what if she does it again without me knowing?_

_You should analyze the people you meet next time before helping, Kasumi. Blindly helping others might cost you something...._

_._

_._

_..... What's wrong with helping troubled people, Kasumi?...._

_._

_._

_..... What's with you and putting yourself in danger, Sumire?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this was mostly focused on Sumire and Shiho, but this is one way of Sumire to show others that she is still her own person. Kasumi's "let people solve their own problems" philosophy cannot be applied for Sumire, who will never hesitate to help those in need. (Even if it does get her and/or the friend in trouble) In a way, Shiho is Sumire's confidant.
> 
> With Shiho's first problem out of the way, how can Sumire fix the other three problems while juggling exams, work, and a few dates with Ren? Stay tuned for "A Messy Time"!


	7. A Messy Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> After catching Shiho doing prostitution and saving her from it, Sumire finds a budding bond with Shiho. However, this is only the beginning of their help-and-be-helped deal as Shiho's other problems are still up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, guys!
> 
> Sorry (not sorry) for the previous chapter's content. There was a reason why I changed the rating to M. I mean, I realized that 'Eventual Smut' belongs to the M rating..... But the prev chapter is more on Sumire learning the dark side of a college student who is having issues in life from a good friend.
> 
> Anyways, Sumire has her own Confidant system and whatnot as a way for her to implant her identity as either Kasumi or herself. How they will react to this in the future chapters will be determined soon enough.

A week after helping Shiho quit her 'special' job, Sumire began to bond with the former volleyball star as they helped each other out with their studies while Sumire is doing part-time work in LeBlanc. Killing two birds with one stone for her book, but three birds for Shiho's book. Three because.....

"A-A-Are you sure you want to h-h-help us, Senpai?"

Shiho snickered when Ren asked to help them in their studying.

"Come on, Kasumi. Let the guy help us. He's a dean's list achiever, after all." She poked fun at Ren.

"Cut me some slack, Shiho."

She playfully sticks her tongue out as she rocked the stool while Sumire frantically studied the notes before she could give it to Ren.

"H-Here you go, Senpai!"

Both girls were surprised when Ren just took photos of her notes before returning it to her.

"You won't put new notes on it, right?"

Sumire nods rapidly.

_Keep it together, Kasumi! Just because he's offering help with that devilish smile of his doesn't mean-_

"Hello? Earth to Kasumi?" Shiho snapped her fingers at her.

Returning to reality, Sumire apologized for spacing out.

"I'll give ya at least one week to study."

Ren's words were stern. That was until he said something else.

"Then after your exams, you're gonna be coming with me to the movies for the latest blockbuster of early June."

"Ugh, seriously? You're gonna watch that Nebula Wars spin-off?" Shiho said in annoyance.

"Hey, it's worth the try."

"I heard it bombed in Europe for its misconception of smuggling."

While Ren and Shiho began bickering on what film to watch best in the beginning of June, Sumire began writing down a schedule.

_Schedules? Seriously?_

_Come on, Kasumi.... you don't need to write down schedules._

_._

_._

_._

_.... But I'm not Kasumi._

"Sumi?"

"Yes?"

"Nebula Wars or Boulder Sea?"

Shiho and Ren looked at her intensely, making Sumire turn red and stutter.

"I-I-I-I, uh, t-t-t-think that-"

Futaba suddenly bursts into LeBlanc.

_Thank you, Futaba. You're such a life-sav-_

"Ren! Kasumi! Shiho! New Blitz movie this June! Must watch!"

Now Futaba added herself to the bickering, making Sumire panic while brewing the coffee beans. Sojiro noticed this and then ushered Sumire to the cooking station.

"Seems like you're still startled with their sudden movie plans."

"Mmhmm."

"Well now, I do have a plan in case they'll pressure you again for anything."

While Sojiro taught Sumire how to make a new kind of curry, he whispered to her the perfect, foolproof plan to avoid further conflicts.

"Wow! Thanks, Sakura-san!"

"Eh? I didn't say anything."

Futaba heard Sumire's thanks and clarified it only to realize that Sojiro told her something.

"Dad, what did you say to Kasumi?"

"Oh, nothing." He replied with a smug grin.

Ren looked at him with a disapproving face. "That doesn't sound like nothing, Boss."

All they can hear were Sojiro's laughter as Sumire resumed cooking.

The weekend before exams has come, and Sumire began reading her notes carefully to take her mind off things. Laying in her bed without the usual ponytail, she pulls out her glasses and took off her contacts.

_About time I took these off. Cleaning it on a regular basis can be tiring._

She began highlighting important stuff when a knock on the door is heard. Rising up, she makes her way to open the door and see a familiar face.

"Shiho-senpai?"

"Hey." She began tapping the ground behind her leg with her toe. "Uh, you busy?"

Sumire curtly replied. "I was only studying."

"Fair enough. Mind if I come in?"

Ever since her secret was revealed, Shiho felt nothing but shame to the fact that Sumire, a person she only met, knew about it and went out to help her quit it in an instant. Though the memory of gambling in an illegal match to win 2 million yen and NOT get caught still surprises her.

"Sure thing, Senpai. How can I help?"

As Shiho sunk herself to Ann's couch, she felt the pain in her knee coming back. "Remember how I told you that I still have a few problems up my ass?"

"Vaguely, if I remember." The redhead said.

"Well, even if you forced me out of the prostitution life... the trauma of being... you know... still remains." She balled her hands into fists. "I don't know how to thank you entirely for helping me with one problem, but I am asking you again to help me more in fixing my life."

_This is bad, Kasumi. She has more problems than I thought._

_But she's indebted to me for helping her. I can't leave her alone if she still has struggles around her._

"How can I be of help?" She repeated.

"You're planning on accomplishing the Winter Gymnastics this December, right?"

Sumire bit her lip hard. _Why bring that up now?_

"Uh, yeah...."

What she didn't expect was her determined response.

"Let me train with you."

"What?"

Shiho looked down for a bit. "I've been giving it a lot of thought. I do love volleyball and all, but ever since that day..... I just became unsure of my path now."

Sumire reaffirmed her. "But you're a trainer for kids, remember? You're vying to be a coach better than that man."

"I know. But I can't just rely on my part-time job forever."

Sumire then wondered. _Now I think about it.... I haven't asked about her course program._

"What was it you were majoring in again, Senpai?"

"Physical Education and Sports Science."

She chuckled. "You really love your sports, huh?"

"It's a lifestyle, Yoshizawa. Kinda like that pizza of yours."

Sumire blushed at the compliment, which then triggered her to cook that pizza again.

"Speaking of pizza... which flavor do you love the most?"

Sumire kept quiet for a bit until she spoke out her answer.

"Cheesy garlic shrimp."

"AWESOME!"

Sumire tilted her head before snapping back. "Can we study while enjoying the pizza?"

Shiho nods her head, but not after she asked Sumire to train her.

Night fell, and the two still train in Ann's living room. With the occasional breaks due to Shiho's knee, Sumire made use of the breaks to create a few smoothies that she learned in class.

"Thanks." Shiho said as she received a four-seasons smoothie.

"You're welcome." Sumire replied as she sipped on her orange pineapple smoothie.

As the two continued studying during the break, the duo hears the door opening.

"I'm home!"

"Ann-san!"

"Hey, Ann."

"Shiho? What are you doing here?" Ann cocked her eyebrows before furrowing them.

"Studying with Kasumi. What does it look like?"

Without ever thinking, Ann asked. "But aren't you supposed to.... you know....?" She glanced at Sumire. "Oh, shit. What I meant was-"

Shiho answered bluntly. "She knows."

"O-Oh..... Then, uh-"

"I quit already."

"H-Huh!?" Ann was shocked to hear what was supposed to be great news. "Really?"

"Yeah. Thanks to Kasumi here listening to my rants and venting, I managed to quit being a prostitute so I can pursue a clearer future."

_Of course it's Kasumi who gets the credit. Poor ol' Sumire will always be cast aside when credit is due._

"Tha-That's great, Shiho!" Ann awkwardly smiled as Shiho knew what it meant. "But what about your-"

"Covered."

"How?"

"Gambling." Shiho shrugged, earning a sudden anger from Ann.

"ARE YOU NUTS!? HOW DID YOU EVEN BEGIN!?"

"Kasumi."

Sumire tensed up as Ann shot her a deathly glare. "IjustsawanopportunitywhereShihosenpaicangainmoneywithoutforcingherselfintodoingsexualstuffanymore!"

"Uh, what?" Ann's glare became a confused look as Sumire spoke too fast.

_You idiot! You spoke too fast! Classic Sumire, can't even talk slowly during pressured explanations!_

"Basically," Shiho simplified the explanation, "she saw a contest where I got very lucky and won a good amount of money for it."

"Okay.....?"

Shiho continued studying, prompting Ann to hold off the chat for now. She took a glance at Sumire's notes with wide eyes.

_Jesus Christ, for an honor student..... You sure wrote a lot of notes._

"Alright! Back to training!" Sumire beamed with confidence, the sudden worry already gone from her body.

"Already?" Shiho groaned. As the two trained with stretches and muscular movements, Ann can't help but watch.

"So Kasumi-chan helped Shiho with that problem and solved it immediately? Huh." She mumbled out of earshot. "Lucky girl for Ren then."

Exams have begun, and Sumire hoped she studied well for it.

**_Q: The place of origin of pizza._ **

**_A: Italy._ **

**_Q: The real reason why the Statue of Liberty is green._ **

**_A: Copper mixed with oxygen turned the color from brownish orange to a faded green._ **

**_Q: The reason where evil is born._ **

**_A: Ignorance._ **

**_Q: What is false about grilled food?_ **

**_A: There are no carcinogens in eating grilled food._ **

**_Q: True or False. You can cook an egg in a desert._ **

**_A: True._ **

**_Q: The biggest fish in Earth._ **

**_A: Whale Shark._ **

**_Q: True or False. Doughnuts were intentionally made with holes._ **

**_A: False._ **

**_Q: Which country in the Caribbean is associated with Blue Mountain?_ **

**_A: Jamaican._ **

**_Q: The number one common injury in sports._ **

**_A: Ankle injury._ **

"It's over!" Shiho cried out after she, Sumire, and Ren met up in the courtyard.

"I know. Three days of exams is exhausting enough." Sumire grumbled in agreement.

"Eh, I survived it." Ren boasted, making Shiho pout and retaliate.

"I bet you'll still be in the middle of the dean's list like always."

"Pfft. Says who?"

Maruki then approaches them with a smile. "Congratulations on surviving exams."

Sumire gave a thumbs up while her head is buried in a book.

"Um, Shiho-san. Ren-san. A word with Yoshizawa-san, if I may?" he whispered. Ren and Shiho took the hint and gave a reasonable distance.

"How are you feeling, Kasumi-chan?" He began asking her.

"So tired... Two weeks of tired state." She mumbled with her face in the book.

"I see." He turned around to look at Shiho. "Seems like you've become quite close with Suzui-san."

Sumire raised her head to look at him with a wry smile. "Yeah, we have."

Maruki then asked further. "How's her relationship with Takamaki-san?"

"Ummm....."

Maruki sighed. "No luck, huh?"

"Yeah."

He leaned forward. "Mind keeping this between us?"

"Sure, I guess."

_This isn't good._

"Suzui-san once asked me to counsel her. Apparently, she has too many troubles to handle for herself. But today she seemed... joyous. As if one of her problems is gone."

Sumire smiled. "I was only lending an ear to her. All it takes is some good chats of motivation."

_Oh, the irony. Good irony, Sumire._

"I see. Well, can you keep me updated on her if possible? That is, if it's okay with you."

Sumire contemplated it for a bit. On one hand, it's helping Maruki learn more on Shiho's progress. On another, she's betraying the secret pact they made.

"I'll see how it'll go. Thank you, Dr. Maruki." She bowed and made her way. However, her hand is pulled by him.

"I forgot to tell you... if ever you feel troubled, feel free to talk to me. I'm happy to help out." He said with a sheepish grin. Sumire smiled in return as he lets her go.

"Oh, hey." Ren looked at her. "How did chatting good ol' Doc go?"

"It was okay."

"Good." He smiled at her as she began to slightly blush. "Does anyone want dinner in Shibuya?"

Shiho figured out what he had in mind. "Oh, hell no. Not another damn Big Bang Burger challenge for you to rub on my face."

"We still have a movie to watch after."

"Right." Shiho huffed as she turned her sights to Sumire. "So, Kasumi, what movie are we gonna watch?"

.

.

.

.

.

.

... "The Midgling!?"

Futaba met up with the group in a diner in Central Street and was outraged by Sumire's choice of film.

_Ugh, I wish I didn't pick that film. I, Kasumi Yoshizawa, was left with no other option!_

"Yeah. I mean, it's cheaper than the rest." She gave an awkward laugh as Ren, Shiho, and Futaba gave off gloomy vibes.

"Well, why not we ask someone who can decide a film for all of us?"

Shiho and Futaba looked at Sumire before turning back to Ren.

"You're a bad ex-boyfriend, you know that?"

"Seconded."

"Come on. She's an actress. Surely she has criticism for each of our movie choices."

"This is ANN we're talking about."

Sumire coughed to alert them. "Please excuse me." She then exits the diner for a bit to cool down or something. Upon exit, she began to drown herself in depressive thoughts.

_My mission to let Senpai fall for Kasumi is failing. He still has feelings for Ann-san._

_Tch, that bimbo has been nothing but trouble._

_She felt sad when I said I came here for Ren-senpai. Now Ren-senpai wants Ann-san to help._

_That's just an excuse. Like how you're pretending to be Kasumi to run away forever._

_NO! I'm not running away!_

_Yes, you ARE!_

Ren touches her shoulder as she accidentally screams her thoughts.

"No, I'm not!"

"You're not what?"

"Ah!"

Sumire falls on her butt and hides her face as Ren picks her up.

"You okay?"

"I'm sorry." She ran off, making Ren follow her.

Arriving in Inokashira Park, Sumire took a break from her run and began worrying even more.

_Sumire, you moron! You ran away from Ren!_

_What should I do? He caught me waddling in my thoughts!?_

_Kasumi never waddles in her thoughts. Aren't you supposed to act like her?!_

_How can I act like her when I am not her at all?!_

"Kasumi?"

_Shit! He followed me!_

Sumire slowly turned around, revealing her puffy eyes to him. He sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable with my idea."

She stayed quiet. Ren tries his best to make her talk.

"I assume you know about me and Ann back then?"

Silence still enveloped them. Ren sighed in defeat.

"This is why I don't tell anything to Ryuji."

"Ryuji?" She asked.

"Oh." He realized. "You haven't met him yet?"

She shook her head. Ren then remembered the date and time.

"It's a Saturday today. He should be training right about...."

A blonde boy running from a distance is then seen before he trips.

"...now. Hang on."

Seeing the blonde boy trip reminded Sumire of her training with Shiho. As soon as she texted them for another training session for her knee, she gets a crying emoji as a response.

_Hehehe. Cute._

She then keeps her phone and wipes off her tears as Ren brought the boy back to their bench.

"Jeez, you still trip like an old man chasing down a goose."

"Aw, shuddup!"

"Anyway... Ryuji, this is Kasumi Yoshizawa. Kasumi, this is Ryuji Sakamoto."

Oddly enough, Ryuji has quite a memory despite being a dumbass.

"Eh? Kasumi Yoshizawa? Weren't you like, suffering a concussion or something from that car accident two months ago?"

Sumire froze. _How many people actually want me to lie my way through?_

"You mistook me for my sister, Sumire. Apologies if the news got you confused." She gave out another excuse. Luckily, he took the bait and shrugged.

"Eh, as long as you're alright now. I still feel sorry for your sister, though."

_At least someone cares about you, Sumire._

"Thank you for the concern. I'm sure she'll recover soon."

Ryuji then leaned onto Ren's ear and whispered. "Dude, you dating her or what?"

With a loud and proud voice, Ren replied with a sly grin. 'Only if she wants to consider this as a date."

"Wha- A d-d-d-d-date?? But I-I-I j-j-j-j-just ran away from the d-d-d-diner!"

"What!? You ran all the way here from Shibuya!?" Ryuji was not only perplexed by her stamina but impressed as well.

Sumire blushed further as Ren chuckled.

"Take it easy, Kasumi. I was teasing."

Sumire recovered and pouted. "Meanie Senpai!"

"Senpai?" Ryuji cocked his eyebrows. "You go to U.E.S. with him?"

"She also works part-time in LeBlanc as well." Ren added.

"Makes sense." Ryuji then slumped onto the bench and asked Ren to buy him some water. As the frizzy hair left, Ryuji began asking questions to Sumire.

"What made ya move here, Yoshizawa-san?"

Sumire thought carefully of what to say.

"I just wanted to be a different person. I want people to know me as Kasumi the normal girl, not Kasumi the celebrity. And Sumire's coma isn't helping since people still talk about it."

Ryuji clenched his fist. "Typical society. Talking whatever the fuck is trending."

Sumire and Ryuji then spot Shiho gorggily walking their way.

"Shiho-senpai!"

"You know what? I should call you senpai as well, Kasumi-chan." She noticed Ryuji sitting down. "Sakamoto. Been a while."

"Suzui? Aren't you supposed t-"

"I quit." She shot down his question before he could finish it.

"For real?! How?! I heard quitting the sex business is hard in the red light district."

_Ever the loudmouth._

"I competed against my clients in an illegal gambling site. I got really lucky to win Tycoon 8 out of 15 rounds, and my win alone sealed the deal of me quitting for good."

Ryuji hung his head. "At least you improved your A-game and you won't be tasting different dicks now. I can still win only 1 out of 15 rounds against Ren, Futaba, and you.... and still get my ass handed by Ikeda-senpai during our arcade matches."

Despite no sense in his logic, Shiho stuck her tongue out playfully until Sumire realized something.

"Wait a minute. What happened to Futaba-san?"

Shiho explained that she just called a friend to watch with her the new Blitz film after Sumire ran off. The redhead then blushed in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Plus, 100 yen says Futaba will not enjoy the film." Shiho snickered as Ren returned with the water bottle pack.

"Shiho? Where's Futaba?"

"With her friend named Inari."

Ryuji and Ren looked at each other with worried faces.

"That's not gonna end well."

"Agreed."

Sumire chuckled. "You guys seem to know your friends very much."

Ryuji then flashes a toothy grin. "Which means we're eager to learn more about you!"

"What?"

"Come on! I'll be showing you and Ren-Ren your new dating spot!"

"B-B-B-But we-"

Ren played along and wrapped his arm on her shoulder, causing Sumire to turn beet red. "Don't worry, darling. He'll bring to a place where we'll have a nice time together."

Shiho snickered as she pumped a fist in the air. "Extreme training: denied!"

_Those smiles on their faces.... they're happy to know me...._

_._

_._

_._

_.... No, they're only happy to know Kasumi._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji has bonked his way to the story now!
> 
> After her actions accidentally make her meet an old face, will Sumire begin to ask Ren out a lot more after Ryuji's matchmaking attempt? Find out in "Worth The Try"!


	8. Worth the Try

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Sumire survives her exams and gets a misunderstanding from Ren. She then inadvertently meets Ryuji after she ran off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I going off my schedule? Yes and no.
> 
> Yes because my sched is cleared for now due to sudden cancellations and delayed stuff. No because I will still maintain the upload sched once I plot a new schedule for my stuff.
> 
> Let's get it on!

Ryuji, showing off a massive shit-eating grin, brings Ren, Sumire, and Shiho to a museum in Ueno where he thinks is the best way to hook Ren up immediately with Sumire. Shiho sighed at the obviousness of his plan as she pulls Sumire close to her.

"Hey, uh, Kasumi?"

"Hmm?"

"Whatever advice Ryuji is going to try to tell you, don't believe every word of it."

Confused, Sumire was about to ask why when Ren answered for her.

"Last time Ryuji tried to hook Shiho up, it was with with our old classmate Mishima."

"Don't even remind me of him. Guy doesn't even know how to act normally in front of girls." She huffed in frustration. "I mean, who asks a girl if she does camgirling?"

Sumire blushed at the thought. Considering that she encountered Shiho nude not too long ago, her guilty pleasures are beginning to rise up again.

"Uh, that's a really weird thing to do." Sumire spoke to remove the awkward air. "At least you didn't proceed to go further with him."

Shiho smiled in mischief. "Yeah, but I did make it up for him...."

Ren slapped his forehead at the implication of it. "Don't tell me after all these years, he's still-"

"HERE WE ARE!" Ryuji proclaimed loudly before realizing one thing. "What?! It's closed?!"

"Dude, it's 8 pm. What do you expect for a place that closes an hour earlier?"

Shiho snickered. "Ah, your failed attempt to pair Kasumi and Ren has begun."

"For real?" All the blonde can do was hang his head down in shame. "You guys ate already, right?"

Sumire's stomach can be heard grumbling.

"Sorry!" She apologized with a blushing face and bow. "I guess my running made me hungry again."

Shiho felt her stomach grumble as well. Ren chuckled as he announced that everyone is hungry.

"Alright. There should be a beef bowl shop around here..."

"BEEF BOWLS? YAY!"

Everyone was surprised at Sumire's excitement. She looked around and blushed again.

_Ugh, that was inappropriate, Kasumi._

_Ah, who am I kidding? When it comes to food, I can't help but squeal with joy._

"You like beef bowls, Kasumi?"

"Mmhmm!"

"Don't get your hopes up, Ryuji. She has the hots for guys with a silver tongue, not something hung." Shiho teased, causing both boys to choke at their own saliva by accident and cough.

"Urgk!"

"Ack!"

_No dirty thoughts, Kasumi. She was just probably joking._

_Silver tongue... something hung... SUMIRE, STOP IT NOW!_

"Let's get going!" She marched ahead of everyone, not spotting Shiho getting karate-chopped to the head by both boys.

Arriving at the beef bowl shop, Sumire smelled the newly-cooked beef from outside. Before she was gonna say something, Ryuji and Shiho were nowhere to be seen.

"Senpai? Where did Ryuji-senpai and Shiho-senpai go?" She asked nervously.

Ren turned around and noticed them gone as well. _Ah, damn them._

"I have no idea, Kasumi. But let's go eat together. They'd probably catch up."

As the two of them entered the shop, Sumire's mind went into a frenzy again.

_Second date!_

_Hush it, woman! We're supposed to be composed._

_Ugh, don't be a killjoy like always, Sumire._

_Wait.... I'm Sumire. How great._

From afar, Shiho cracked her knuckles after while Ryuji rubbed his shoulder.

"What was that for?" He chided her.

"You grabbed my butt just so Ren and Kasumi can have time alone. You damn well know you had it coming." She angrily told him.

"Like I said, I didn't mean to!"

"Thank you for the food!" Sumire splits her chopsticks and began chowing down the first of four medium beef bowls.

"Four beef bowls?" Ren looked at her in astonishment.

"Yeah." Sumire then looked at him warily. "Is it a turn-off for you, Senpai?"

"N-No!" He answered with shaky hands. "It's just-"

"You don't have payment for it, huh?" She looked at him with sad eyes and began to cry after covering her eyes. The chef noticed and cocked his eyebrows at Ren.

"W-W-Wait a sec, Kasumi! I am gonna pay for it. I have all the cash for tonight since we didn't spend much on the diner, okay? I'll be paying, so please don't cry..."

He was shocked to realize Sumire shed crocodile tears as her wide grin was evident.

"Really!? Thank you, Senpai!" She continued eating.

_Impressive. Letting your own man pay the stuff._

_I still feel guilty though. Letting Ren pay all the meals._

_That's how it should be, my dear Kasumi. We're meant to be pampered, not played with._

Sumire's thoughts accidentally went towards Kasumi's past relationship with her ex.

_Why am I- Oh, right. Thinking like Kasumi...._

_But then again, she won't fucking shut up about him back then._

Ren noticed her stress and her speed of eating increased. He sighed in defeat.

"I fell for the crocodile tears again. Ren: 0... Ann/Shiho/Futaba/Kasumi/Hifumi/Haru/Makoto: 50." He muttered under his breath, with most girls doing so so that he can pay for most of everything.

After finishing the last bowl, Sumire took the time to rest while Ren was close to sleeping.

"Senpai?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you wanna go out with me tomorrow?"

Sumire, in all honesty, hoped he would say yes. And she gets that answer anyway.

"Sure. I mean, I ain't getting grilled by Maruki as of the moment, so a lovely date with you wouldn't hurt." He gave her a smile as she turned red while smiling back.

"Do you have a place in mind?" He asked her.

"Um.... I'm still kinda new here in Tokyo. So will you be patient with me in my planning?" She pleaded nicely.

"Sure, Kasumi. Take your time."

"Thank you!" She blushed again, but for some reason Ren ignored it and paid the meal. As the two were leaving, Ryuji and Shiho were entering.

"Yo! What's bonking?"

"'Sup! What's sizzlin'?"

 _Ugh, these two are gonna be the death of me._ "Where have you two been?"

"Sorry, Kasumi! My leg kinda acted up suddenly...." Ryuji fabricated a lie, but didn't expect Sumire to butt in about his leg.

"You too, Ryuji-senpai? Shiho-senpai's leg hurts as well."

Ryuji looked at Shiho, who bit her lip while looking downtrodden. "Still there, huh?"

".... Yeah." She then changed her mood. "B-But don't worry! Kasumi-chan here is helping me train it back to shape!"

Ryuji gave her an approving nod as Ren and Sumire left the place.

"So... shall we head home?" Ren offered his arm, catching the redhead off-guard.

_Is he offering me a walk home!?_

_This is for real! Get it together, Kasumi!_

_You tell me, Sumire! YOU get it together, you big blushing goof!_

"Uh..... uh.... I-I-I-I-" Sumire was so flustered that she can't process things properly.

_Urgh, I just told myself to get it together! I'm so embarrassed right now!_

"Kasumi?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah! Sorry.... I just.... just...."

Without a second thought, Ren took Sumire's hand and laced her arm around his.

"Let us depart, milady!"

"Eep!"

As the two walked to the train station, Ryuji and Shiho followed them.

"Did it work?" Ryuji whispered.

"Hell would I know? You're the one trying to set them up quick!" Shiho replied with a hiss.

Ryuji then thought of something for a minute.

".... You think Ann knows?"

"She knows, alright.... Kasumi Yoshizawa lives with her now."

"FOR REAL?!" Ryuji's mouth alerted Ren and Sumire. "Yo, Kasumi! You living with- OW!"

"Ryuji, are you some sort of idiot?!" Shiho slammed a fist onto his back.

"That hurts, y'know....."

Ren and Sumire ignored them for the rest of the evening.

"So.... you really do live with Ann."

Ren spoke nervously as he and Sumire take the elevator. As the two stepped out of the elevator and made their way to her unit, Sumire stopped in her tracks.

"Ren-senpai."

He stopped as well.

"I can take it from here. Sakura-san might be mad at you for going home late." She spoke in a low voice.

_Sumire, what are you doing!? You're ruining a romantic moment!_

_I live with Ann-san, me! I can't force Ren-senpai to confront an ex-girlfriend._

_As much as I want to help them, now is not the time...._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_.... more like never, if he will unconsciously bring it up._

"You sure? I mean-"

"Yes. Really. And, uh, thank you for tonight. Even if it didn't start well."

Her heart raced when she felt a kiss on her forehead. Turning mighty red, she looked at Ren, who sports a smug grin on his face.

"Looking forward to our date tomorrow then. Have a good night, Kasumi." He re-entered the elevator and waved her farewell.

Sumire stood in the corridor for about ten minutes, her mind scrambled by everything.

_DID HE JUST KISS ME?!_

_IN THE FOREHEAD ONLY, DOOFUS!_

_MY HEART MELTED WHEN IT HAPPENED!?_

_STAY FOCUSED, KAS- Oh, right......_

_'Looking forward to our date tomorrow then. Have a good night, **Kasumi**.'_

_Right.... Kasumi....._

_._

_._

_._

_.... Why can't I have nice things?_

The next day, she was still overwhelmed by what transpired last night as well as her clouded thoughts as Kawakami entered the class with an announcement.

"Alright, class! I have an announcement to make!" Everyone sat up and glared at Sumire. "Fortunately for the school, we have found new teachers to replace the ones who were charged guilty of conspiracy and embezzlement. Once again, if it weren't for a certain frizzy-haired student, we wouldn't have known that the government was trying to control this school as well as a few others."

Gossip began to stir around the room. Sumire carefully analyzed what she said.

_This must be about that Shido person Ren-senpai took down not too long ago._

"As of today, I will now only handle the Dietetics and House Cooking classes as well as managing the laboratories of the department. For Restaurant Management and Brewery, I leave you now to a former student of the University of Tokyo and daughter of now-imprisoned Kunikazu Okumura." She cleared her throat as a young woman wearing a hat entered the room.

"Please welcome our newest member of the faculty, Miss Haru Okumura!"

She was greeted by murmurs of students. _As expected. Hmm?_ She noticed Sumire standing up and bowing.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Okumura-sama!"

_Damn Yoshizawa is at it again._

_Jeez, does she really want that special treatment bullshit?_

_Seems fitting, dontcha think?_

Sumire sat back down with a frown. Haru noticed it and decided to greet her back.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well. But I believe you can just call me Haru, if you like."

Kawakami was perplexed at Haru's choice for informalities. Nonetheless, she went on her way as Haru began conducting class. Sumire paid close attention to the lecture until she realized class has ended.

_Ugh, was I too engrossed with class?_

"Never would I have expected Kasumi Yoshizawa to be under me in class."

Sumire snapped back to see Haru standing in front of her.

"Although I am rather concerned as to why you registered your name as Sumi Yoshizawa. As well as how the media kept telling us that you're still hospitalized when you're here."

_The news is still reporting about that? How annoying._

_Too many people to lie through again, Sumire._

"Sorry for the inconvenience, Haru-sama." She apologized, but Haru placed a finger on her lip.

"Hush. I feel you, Kasumi-chan."

Suddenly, Sumire's phone buzzed to show a message from Ren.

"You know... Ren-kun?" She cautiously asked.

"Yeah." A realization dawned at her. "SHIT! OUR DATE!"

"D-D-Date?"

Sumire stood up abruptly. "I'm so sorry, for abruptly leaving you, Haru-sama! I promise I'll make it up this Wednesday!" She bowed and ran off.

Unbeknownst to Sumire, Haru just smiled.

"I'm glad Ren-kun found another person to care about."

Outside the gates, Ren waited for Sumire while listening to an American rapper sing about a box. As he was about to check the campus, he is bumped by Sumire's rushing.

"Ow!"

"Ugh....."

"Oh, my gosh! I'm so sorry, Senpai!" She immediately recovered and helped him up.

"It's fine...." He rubbed his head as he winced in pain.

_Classic Sumire. Ever so reckless, ever so clumsy._

Sumire frowned at her thoughts when Ren takes her hand.

"Shall we get going, Little Miss Gloomy?"

_I'm supposed to be Kasumi. Not stupid Sumire....._

_._

_._

_._

_.... But how can I when I'm being too careless?_

Walking towards the train station, Ren waited until Sumire spoke up about their destination.

"Kasumi? Do you have a place in mind now?"

_Great. Even after a while, I'm still Classic Sumire. Even dumb enough to forget my idea._

"Uh...." She pulled out her notebook and frantically looked for the page with her ideas. "Ah! This one!"

Revealing a sketch of a dolphin and a penguin, Ren gave an amusing smile.

"My, my. Kasumi Yoshizawa.... doodling instead of taking notes."

"I-I-I, uh, well.... you s-s-s-see....." She then hears him laugh, causing her to pout. "Senpai, you're very mean to me always!"

"My bad. Can't help but admire how easily flustered you are."

_Senpai, you son of a b- If I wasn't in love with you, I could just punch you right now._

"Alright, then. To Shinigawa, it is!"

Ren and Sumire then took the train heading for the aquariums. Arriving in the aquariums, Sumire herself was in awe.

"Holy moly! This place is huge!" She gawked at the sight of the blue tangs and clownfish swimming together. "Senpai, look!"

Ren chuckled at her cute enthusiasm. "First time coming to an aquarium?"

"Nope." She answered swiftly before lowering her voice. "I used to go to the Marine Show in Okinawa with Sumire and she was so scared of the fish whenever it would touch the glass. She would cry for quite a while until she grew tired, and after that my parents would buy her a few stuffed animals to cheer her up."

Although Sumire had to answer the question as Kasumi, she slowly began to tell her experiences more.

"One of them was a pink dolphin, then the other was a white whale, and the last one was a penguin with a crown. They were so cute that I got jealous and sad. Sumire gave me the pink dolphin one, but I seem to misplace it somewhere."

_Misplace? More like threw it away in school until you found it in the cafeteria a few days after._

"Let's say we have some fun in the aquarium for a bit? See a lot of cool animals here and all...."

Sumire nods eagerly, but her mind still lingered on the dolphin's fate. They began touring around the aquarium and saw different animals. While Ren went to the restrooms, Sumire stopped by a souvenir shop to buy a few things.

_I hope no one touched the toys back home. I'd be really mad if they did._

_Why would they even touch it? They don't care about you, remember?_

_It's Kasumi this, Kasumi that. You're nowhere near noticable,-_

"Kasumi?"

Sumire snapped back to see Ren looking at her holding a sea slug plushie.

"Is that for me?"

"Uh.... Um.... I, uh...."

She turned red at the realization that she appears to be offering the toy to Ren. She quickly hid it behind her back before sighing in defeat.

"Yeah... so much for a surprise."

"It is, really."

"Huh?"

"Never thought you'd see me as a squishy sea slug."

Her face went redder as he held her hand to take the plushie and look at it.

"I'll be happy to p-"

"No! I'll pay for it. It's, uh, my gift to you.... " She hid her face with her hands before yanking the toy and rushing to the counter. As the two continued their date, they finally reach the dolphins exhibit where Sumire recognizes one of the dolphins.

"Wha- Bubbles?!"

"Who?"

"That's the dolphin back in Okinawa! Why is she here?"

Unaware of her own actions, Sumire approached the dolphin as it surfaced. Giving a joyful chirp, the dolphin then performed a few tricks in front of Sumire as it also garnered the attention of other visitors. Sumire watched in awe and excitement to the point where Ren just stood next to her and hold her hand. She pulled out her phone and asked Ren for a selfie with her and Bubbles.

"Just one photo?"

"Two! One with you, and one with just her."

Ren then did the selfie (which turned out quite well) and then became Sumire's photographer. Soon, people realized who was posing with the dolphin as Sumire bade it farewell and ran off to avoid further looking. After meeting up with her in the lobby, Ren offered his arm once again.

"You may wanna wait for me next time?"

"I'm so sorry!"

He pats her head. "It's fine."

She froze for a bit before shaking her head. "T-T-Thank you for coming along with me today."

"It is a date, after all. I'm glad I enjoyed it with you, Kasumi."

_As expected._

"Though, do you consider coloring your hair back to brown?"

Caught off-guard by the question, Sumire quickly shot it down. "I'll, uh, think about it."

"Alright." Ren then was now off-guard after Sumire kissed him in the cheek.

"I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

Ren gave her an approving hum before Sumire power-walked to the station.

_Was I too forward? Was I too subtle? Either way, he's glad he went out with Kasumi...._

_._

_._

_._

_.... I wish I actually had fun with him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sumire tried her luck in asking Ren out on a date. It went well, at the very least.
> 
> Also, I decided to make the dolphin scene quite a Sumire-esque scene since she would most likely remember events or things that make her genuinely happy. (Even if she has to keep up the Kasumi act.)
> 
> As for the Ueno part earlier, I ain't gonna put Yusuke in juuuuuuust yet.
> 
> And because I introduced Haru as a young teacher here, I'll put this now so everyone can keep track:  
> \- Ren, Shiho, Ann, and Ryuji are 20 years old turning 21 over the course of the story. (In this fic, Ren's birthday will be on December while Shiho's is October)  
> \- The Yoshizawa twins are 19.  
> \- Futaba is 18.  
> \- Yusuke is 22.  
> \- Haru and Akechi are 24 turning 25.  
> \- Makoto is 25.  
> \- Maruki and Kawakami are 34.
> 
> Stay tuned for the next chapter, "A Graceful Artist", where Sumire meets Yusuke and begins to develop a bond with Ann!


	9. A Graceful Artist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> After Ryuji's botched set-up, Ren and Sumire went on two consecutive dates. Sumire also meets Haru Okumura, who has a past with Ren.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so new sched:
> 
> Mondays and Thursdays will be the regular uploads while Saturdays will be optional, depending on my availability. Should I be busy on the regular days, one upload will make up for it on Wednesdays.

It is already late June, and Sumire has been doing well with her studies and hands-on exams. Kawakami applauded her for another lab exam with her version of seafood curry, Haru beamed with joy for her cautious but well-executed management exam, and Maruki was amazed at how well she answered his pop quizzes. Ren and Shiho found this to be beyond impressive and decide to celebrate for it. As for her part-time work, she has garnered more charm and kindness in both Sojiro and the customers at the cost of playfully stealing Ren's thunder. With Ann out for another film schedule, the group decided to use the condo unit as the venue for a 'Kasumi Yoshizawa Pizza Party'.

However, there is one person who does not find Sumire's academic success fascinating. Furthermore, he summoned Maruki to his office.

"Chairman Noriyaki."

"Dr. Maruki. Please sit."

As Maruki sat down, he detected an uneasy vibe.

"Mind telling me why you called my attention."

The gruffy man only said a few words. "Get Yoshizawa to training or I'm kicking her out of the school."

"You can't do that!" Maruki rose up angrily. "The competition is still too far!"

"And I'm making sure that her scholarship here isn't a wasted opportunity! Had she decided to use the regular student's assessment, the school wouldn't be holding her ass for a stupid scholarship when we should have been busy tackling the Law Department!"

"And how is revoking her schooling a good thing?!" Both of their voices showed venom.

"It's called cutting loose ends." He then threw photographs of Maruki _spying_ on Rumi and her new husband. "Unless you'll be that loose end."

Maruki was speechless. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

_Damnit, how did he find out!?_

"Remind her.... or else. Now get out of my office."

Defeated, Maruki leaves the office and slammed his fist to the wall.

"Goddamnit!"

"Dr. Maruki?"

He turned to see Sumire, who was startled by his outburst.

"M-My apologies, Yoshizawa-san."

"What's the matter?" She tried to inquire, but he stayed quiet. Sumire didn't push further and excused herself to the next class. Maruki looked at her sadly.

"How am I gonna tell her? If she overtrains, she'll get too confident but fatigued. If she undertrains, she'll end up too reluctant but safe."

He marched down the hall with an upset look.

After classes, the group immediately went to Ann's condominium whereas Sumire went for her bath upon arrival. She was about to text them that she'll be 'out' until she heard Futaba lockpicking the door.

"WABAM! We're h- Gah!"

"Futaba-chan!"

"Wassu- Futaba, you moron! You didn't tell us she was gonna bath!"

Sumire blushed furiously as everyone stared at her wearing only a towel. Her blush intensified when Ren entered and blushed as well. The only person NOT blushing is Shiho.

"I, uh.... EVERYONECLOSEYOUREYES!"

Understanding what she said, Ren gestured the crew to close their eyes. Shiho didn't, and Sumire decided to let it slide again and ran to the bathroom. As her bath began, the group decided to talk.

"Hey, why aren't ya closing your eyes?" Ryuji took a peek at Shiho's stance.

"You know I did prostitution for nearly three years, right? A naked girl is not something lewd for me to see." Her eyes turned to Ren, then to Futaba. "Furthermore...."

Ren knew where this was going. "Futaba, what did I tell you about the lockpicks? You lack manners, young lady."

"How would I know she was here already?!" Futaba's attempt to defend herself ended poorly as the group hears Sumire singing in the shower.

_"I'm a shapeshifter at Poe's masquerade_

_Hiding both face and mind_

_All free for you to draw_

_I'm a shapeshifter_

_I have no face to show_

_Please don't take off my mask and my disguise"_

Ren was shocked and paralyzed. "Wow, I didn't know Kasumi can sing."

Shiho began teasing him. "Well, Ann sings also. But I bet you like girls with hidden talents, eh?"

Futaba glared at him with a grin. "Yeah.... maybe dance even?"

Ren froze in fear, the memory of a dance from not too long ago clouding his brain.

"L-Let's not talk about that."

Ryuji then had a suggestion. "Oh, I know someone who dances better than you, Ren-Ren."

Futaba's eyes widened as she began running her mouth. "Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope! We are NOT inviting Inari to the party!"

"C'mon, Futaba. Maybe we can do a dance-off between her and Yusuke."

"Like I said, NOPE!"

_"Is something wrong out there?"_

Ren answered on behalf of everyone. "Nothing's wrong, Kasumi!"

_"Oh, okay! Just don't touch anything expensive!"_

In truth, Sumire was sitting on the shower floor. The purpose of her showering was to relax herself, but because Shiho inadvertently started the teasing, Sumire can't help but dive down into her thoughts again.

_They heard me singing. Heh, I bet Ann-san sings better than me. Like I'm that good...._

_Now they expect me to dance with someone.... I'm not even a good gymnast. What more for just a simple dancer?_

_It's Kasumi who does everything better. They want her, not me...._

_._

_._

_.... Of couse, they want me. I'm their friend._

_They're only my friends because of how popular and talented I am, unlike the stuck-up named-_

_"NOOOOOOOO! Why the hell are you here, Yusuke!?"_

Sumire snapped out of her thoughts to hear Futaba yelling against someone named Yusuke.

_"I just happened to notice you all entering Ann's condominium while I was people-watching. To think that we'd reunite in this place..."_

Sumire finished her bath and peeked through the door. Yusuke notices her and raises his hand to silence everyone.

"Who are you and why are you showering in Ann's bathroom?"

Sumire then exits the bathroom to try and greet him, but she is jumped by Yusuke's eccentric desire.

"MARVELOUS! You have the figure that is desirable by other women, your skin complexion is as bright as a peach, and your red long hair is one that exudes beauty!"

"Wh-Wh-Wha-?" Sumire heated up with uncertain embarrassment as Yusuke held her hand.

"I always thought Ann Takamaki was the only epitome of beauty. But you.... you possess the youth that my artistic heart aches and desires."

Futaba buried her head in a pillow as Ren counted down.

"3... 2... 1..."

Yusuke swiped his hand to the left and bellowed at the blushing woman.

"WILL YOU BE MY NEXT MODEL FOR MY ART PIECE!?"

Sumire fainted as he caught her. Shiho volunteered to dress her up while glaring at the three boys and Futaba.

"No one peeks, ya hear me?"

"Y-Yes, Ma'am!" All of them saluted.

Sumire wakes up to the sight of Shiho and Ren sitting on her bed.

"This room takes me back...." Ren pondered, giving Shiho an uneasy look.

"Uh, good or bad?"

Ren stayed quiet until Sumire's sleepy groans made them stop their talk.

"You're up now. That's a relief."

"Wha- What happened?"

Shiho then looked at the door. Yusuke apparently is standing there. "He, uh, wants to apologize."

Yusuke then entered the room as Shiho and Ren exited.

"My apologies for my outburst towards you. Allow me to reintroduce myself." He extended his hand. "My name is Yusuke Kitagawa, a graduate of the University of Tokyo."

Sumire groggily stood up and shook his hand. "Sumi- Kasumi Yoshizawa. You can call me Sumi."

"I see. It is an honor to be of acquaintance." He then pointed out to the door. "I believe Ren is waiting for you. He is eager to learn how to make your famous Yoshizawa Pizza."

"Wait a minute..." Sumire carefully walked. "Senpai wants to cook the pizza with me?"

"Well, according to Futaba, you have the signature pizza while your workplace, LeBlanc, has its signature coffee and curry."

Sumire nods her head and makes her way to the kitchen to help Ren out.

"Ah, here comes the top chef of tonight." Ren smirked, earning a slight blush from her.

"Woo-hoo! Let's go, Kasumi!" Futaba cheered.

_They're cheering for Kasumi... and only Kasumi._

Sumire then began to teach Ren the steps for the pizza while Shiho and Futaba used the Wifi. Yusuke and Ryuji were then talking about comics until Sumire was let go by Ren.

"Go on and interact with them for a bit. They're your new friends, after all." He said with a smile. Sumire returned the smile and approached Yusuke and Ryuji.

"Uh, hi guys."

"Wassup?"

"What's bonkin'?"

Futaba cringed when Yusuke used Ryuji's signature greeting. "Ew, cringey Inari."

"Hmph. Please ignore that bespectacled cretin sitting next to Suzui-san."

Futaba hissed before Shiho smacked her head.

"Behave, Futaba-chan. Same goes for you, Yusuke."

Ryuji chuckled as Sumire sat down with them.

"You gotta love Yusuke. This guy is a walking alien around everyone, but he's our lovable alien."

"Is that gayness I'm hearing from you, Ryuji? It has been a while since ya hooked up with a girl." Futaba teased Ryuji.

"HELL NO! I got a chick with me, alright."

"Pfft. Bullshit."

"Zip it, Suzui!"

Sumire ignored them and interacted with Yusuke, who has been drawing something in his sketch pad.

"Hmm? What are you drawing, Yusuke-kun?"

Yusuke then showed him a drawing of Ann nude and laying in bed.

"I'm working on the shadow effect this time."

Sumire felt awkward. 'Oh-kay, but why did you draw Ann-san nude?"

"Oh, that guy always draws Ann nude." Ryuji pointed his finger at Yusuke. "He just won't admit to ask her for nudes."

"I detest that accusation!"

"Ryuji's right, Inari. Ann can just give ya her tits in a blink of a- OW!"

Shiho slammed both of their heads together. "You assholes forget that I'm her best friend."

Ren kept himself occupied as he monitored the pizza. Sumire noticed his movements and continued talking to Yusuke.

"So... what kind of art suits your tastes?"

Yusuke stopped drawing and lookied at Sumire in the eye. "I'm more of a man who appreciates the Renaissance paintings as well as historical ones. Every art has its story, but the more detail into it, the more you get to understand it."

Sumire placed her jaw on her palm and leaned onto the table. "So like if you draw more things into the picture, you'd be bringing yourself into the mystery behind the photo even more?"

"Well, some drawings can have irrelevant characters placed in the background, but for it to be showing such a fascinating clue behind its appearance makes up for its uselessness in the actual subject."

"I see." Sumire then thought of another question. "Would you prefer gracefulness or boldness?"

_Too personal. Shit._

"Neither, to be honest."

Sumire's eyes widened at Yusuke's response. "But why?"

"There is both beauty and ugliness in grace and boldness. Gracefulness can be more of a cautious approach but it will only give fragile beauty. Boldness can be seen as one who takes daring appearances but it hides a fragile ugliness. One false move, and it will overwhelm its sturdy opposite."

"I, uh, see....." Sumire is unsure how to react.

_Damnit, he got me there._

_Screw it, looks like he has no preference at all._

_What is in this guy's head?_

Even her thoughts were off-guard as Ren called the others for the pizza.

"THANK YOU FOR THE FOOD!" Everyone began eating their huge pizza slices as Ren grinned at Sumire.

"So... how is Yusuke, Kasumi?"

"He's quite unique, honestly. I don't know if it's an artist's intuition to be harsh but realistic or vague but idealistic."

"It's more of both, if you ask him. If you ask Futaba, she'll answer otherwise." Ren snickered when Futaba heard her name.

Sumire stood up and placed three pizza slices on a plate along with some vegetables.

"I'll keep these in case Ann comes home." She announced.

After around 10 minutes, only 4 slices remain. While everyone has declared defeat, Sumire and Yusuke continue eating.

"How are you still hungry, Yusuke-kun?" Sumire asked.

"Well, I actually haven't eaten anything since last Sunday."

"WHAT!?"

Sumire was flabbergasted while Ren shook his head in disappointment.

"Yusuke, we talked about this."

"My apologies, but to be honest no one hasn't bought any of my artworks since I graduated."

Sumire's expression went downcast.

_Oh, Sumire. I know that look...._

_I know I should be Kasumi, but...._

"Do you want me to help?"

Ryuji and Shiho glared at her. "What?"

"He's gonna ask you to model nude for him, ya know."

"I do not plan on that anymore. I mean, I did have a nude painting of Mitsuru Kirijo, but apparently it has been years since I last sold a piece like that." Yusuke clarified somberly.

_Don't tell me I have to volunteer!_

_Dingus! There are other ways to make paint a great artwork!_

_Plus, it has been a while since the old bush had its trim, yeah?_

_WAIT! SUMIRE, QUIT THINKING OF THAT!_

"Is something wrong?" Futaba tapped her head like a coconut. Sumire snapped out and then blurted out something.

"IhaveacrazyideabutIdunnoifitwillworkforyou,Yusukekun!"

Silence filled the void around them for a while.

"You have an idea?"

"He got that?!" Ryuji was dumbfounded when Yusuke understood her fast talk.

"Mm-hmm! I dunno if it'll be quick or long, but I'll help you look for a muse or a subject for a wonderful artwork!"

_Here we go again. First, Shiho-senpai.... now Yusuke-senpai._

"I'm truly grateful." He bowed politely to which she returned.

"In exchange, will you help me in my practices alongside Shiho-senpai?"

"Eh?"

"Hmm? She's back to her physical training?"

What Yusuke said next gave both Futaba and Ren a look of confusion.

"I could have sworn I saw you in the red-li-"

Shiho jabbed his stomach instantly. "I was working with Lala Escargot in Crossroads! That's, uh, how I know the drinks Ann smells like whenever she gets drunk! Yeah!"

Although her awkward laughter didn't help, she kicked Ryuji's shin in case he would say anything. Ren and Futaba shrugged and grabbed their umbrellas.

"Well, it's already getting late." He pecked Sumire in the cheek, causing her to turn crimson red. "Plan our next date, please?"

"I, uh, I-I-I-I would l-l-love to!"

_Relying on us again? Damn! This boy trusts us more than we thought!_

"Perfect! See ya this Monday!" Ren and Futaba bade them farewell as the remaining group then turned their eyes on Sumire.

"Did something happen and we were kept in the dark about it?" Shiho gave a smug grin.

"Yeah...." Ryuji joined in. "I noticed Ren-Ren having a new toy in his room when I visited him the other day."

"Are you two perhaps d-"

"NO! Not yet!" Sumire accidentally blurted out 'yet'.

Shiho's ears perked up and she grinned even more. "Not yet, eh? So there are more dates?"

Sumire buried her face in a pillow as Shiho chuckled.

"Take it easy. We won't spill the beans."

".....hours."

"Come again?"

Sumire rose her face up from the pillow. "Intense training next time for four hours."

Shiho gawked in disbelief at what she said as the boys laughed. After a few minutes, everyone said their goodbyes and left Sumire alone in Ann's condo.

The next day, Sumire worked in LeBlanc without Ren or Futaba. Sojiro told her to manage the cafe the whole day while he took Futaba to Destinyland while Ren had to meet up with Maruki for his research. She overheard a few details, something along the lines of a woman named Lavenza and a man who murdered people because he 'was bored' and 'vindictive' at the same time. She began brewing some coffee for herself when the doorbell chimed.

"Kasumi?"

"Oh! Ann-san!"

Standing in the door is Ann, who looked like she just arrived back in Tokyo. Sumire couldn't help but admire Ann's natural beauty as she made her way to the counter.

"This place takes me back a lot...." She spoke with a soft smile before frowning again. "Where'd everyone go?"

"Sakura-san took Futaba to Destinyland while R-" She was cautious about mentioning Ren. Her anxiety built up.

_Should I tell her about Ren-senpai?_

_Give yourself a rest, Kasumi. She wouldn't care anyway._

_But this is Ann-san!_

_A woman who is only living with you for God knows how long you'll keep this facade up._

"Kasumi?" She waved her hand on her face.

"R-Right! Sorry. The other par-"

"Ren."

_Welp, I tried._

"Y-Yeah." She was already nervous that she didn't notice some of her sweat dropping onto her coffee. "Ren-senpai went with Dr. Maruki for his research."

Ann deeply sighed. "Of course, he'd prioritize that bullshit."

"Ann-san?"

Ann then looked at the coffee beans in the shelf. "One Colombian, please."

Sumire stopped her brewing and then settled the Colombian coffee beans onto the grinder. After a short time, she served Ann's coffee.

"Thank you." She took a sip and her eyes widened. "Wow! This tastes better than Ren's or Sakura-san's!"

Sumire then confessed. "I actually use your coffee machine from time to time to practice my brewing skills. I have a lab exam next week in terms of cafe management."

"Your teacher must be pressuring you big time."

Sumire then remembered that Haru knows Ren, so she asked Ann. "You know Haru Okumura, by any chance?"

Ann spat her coffee. "What?!"

"I'm sorry! Here... let me brew you another cup!"

Ann looked at Sumire with concerned eyes.

_Haru's her teacher now? What the hell are you doing to her, Ren? Bringing Makoto's best friend into this after all the pain you gave her...._

"Are you okay, Ann-san?"

"... can I tell you something?"

Sumire finished brewing and sat next to her.

"What is this about?"

Ann bit her lip until it bled. "It's about me. And probably everyone else."

Sumire listened carefully as Ann began telling her tale.

"Lately, I haven't been close with everyone here due to my film schedules. And when I'm in my film schedules, I always get yelled at for every action I did...."

_This is troubled water now...._

".... I'm under suspension as an actress." Ann clenched her fists. "Some bitch just had to hide a hidden camera to record me having sex with my co-star to get him to side with me. Of course, she is suspended as well... but if that video gets leaked onto the internet...."

Sumire spoke coldly without warning. "Where does she live? I'll go teach her a lesson."

Ann shot up and waved her hands in a panicked manner. "Wait, wait, wait! Let me finish!"

"Sorry. I just hate people like that... using you for their own success...."

_Just like me._

_Poor Sumire.... ever the stepping stone to my success._

"So she blackmailed me into losing my next audition to her." She began crying. "This... this is all that I have after I was disowned by my parents."

Sumire froze in fear and shock.

"After I've been getting a lot of roles, my parents warned me about my schooling. Then I found out they've been using me as well to cover their expenses."

Ann then slammed her fist on the table, startling Sumire. "It's their damn fault their fashion designs are getting shittier by the year! They're overthinking things and ideas! And I'm suddenly the burden by settling for acting instead of going to school?! I'm doing this to keep myself occupied because everyone in this stupid world hates me!"

Ann finally broke down and sobbed. Sumire never felt someone's emotions as strong as Shiho's, and she knows that Shiho has other problems to share. But now, her hands are occupied with Ann as she hugged her and shed a few tears.

"I... I'm so sorry, Ann-san...."

"Sssshhh, It's fine, Kasumi."

After letting the embrace go, Sumire then had to ask Ann.

"So you're not best friends with Shiho-senpai?"

"No. Not anymore." She wiped off a few tears. "But I need your help in making me her best friend again."

Sumire then told Ann that she and Shiho are doing physical training to get her leg back into shape.

"So.... she's quit prostitution and training with you to keep herself active. You must have super powers, Kasumi-chan." She joked at the last part.

"It's nothing really... but I can't help but wonder if Shiho-senpai has more problems."

"Well, she'll open up soon." She held Sumire's hand. "Will you help me rekindle old relationships?"

_I knew it!_

"Including Ren-senpai's?"

Ann held back a bit, but she knows that Kasumi is now his new love.

"He's yours already. We can go skip him."

_She seems.... heartbroken._

"Then alright."

"Huh?"

Sumire gave Ann a determined grin. "If I gotta refresh your bonds with your family and friends, then you'll be glad to have Kasumi Yoshizawa on the case!"

_Kasumi..... everyone's hero....._

_._

_._

_._

_...... my former hero. Betrayed by my own sister._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Yusuke and Ann are artists. One is in illustration arts while the other is in cinematic/theatrical arts. And yes, this chapter was Sumire's interactions with both, resulting in her will to help them.
> 
> That, and Sumi herself is an artist.
> 
> As for Sumire and Ann suspecting Shiho of having another unshared problem aside from the broken friendship and trauma... find out about it next time.
> 
> As July begins, can Sumire handle her teacher's problem before exams begin? Stay tuned for "Returning the Favor"!


	10. Returning the Favor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Sumire finally meets Yusuke and learns about Ann's past. She decides to help them both in fixing their problems.
> 
> Meanwhile, Maruki is being blackmailed into forcing Sumire to work on gymnastics after the scholarships officer caught him spying on his ex-fiance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter here!
> 
> Warning ahead for one scene that maaaaay be misunderstood as a crime.

July has arrived, and Sumire continues to train Shiho while Yusuke criticizes their forms. Apparently, Shiho believes that Yusuke took advantage of their practices just for him to draw them.

"Uh, Yusuke-senpai...." Sumire asked as she eyed the artist rapidly drawing and ripping papers. "Are you sure you're okay there?"

Yusuke remained quiet, humming in both approving and disapproving tones. Fortunately, Maruki arrives in their training spot and alerts Yusuke.

"It's been a while, Kitagawa-kun."

"Maruki!?"

Sumire and Shiho stopped to notice Maruki.

"Oh! Dr. Maruki!"

"Doc!"

Maruki then approached them with a weak smile. "Glad I found you, Yoshizawa-san. There's something I should tell you about, but I guess you're already training."

Sumire hesitated to reply to his statement, but she answered him out of respect. "Well, I wouldn't be training if Shiho-senpai did not allow me to help her in her training."

Shiho blushed at SUmire's words. "I-I-I'm just making sure I move well again! That's all..."

Maruki nods his head in affirmation. "Glad you're training for the event this December, Yoshizawa-san. I have full faith in you."

Sumire smiled at his comment, but her head begins to hound on her.

_He's only complimenting Kasumi, not you._

_Don't push yourself on winning this, Sumire._

_But I have to do this. I have to do this for you, Kasumi...._

_It'll always be about Kasumi...._

"Heeeey."

_Nothing special ever happens to me...._

"Kasumiiiii!"

_Why didn't I die in the crash? Things would have been easier if-_

"Hey." Shiho snaps her out of her thoughts. "You okay?"

"Huh?"

Yusuke walked to her. "You spaced out. Is something the matter?"

"Where'd Dr. Maruki go?"

"He kinda left when you suddenly spaced out?"

Blushing in embarrassment, Sumire apologized and bowed rapidly. Shiho stopped her to avoid making a scene before the ravenette called it a day and left her alone with Yusuke.

"So...." Sumire kicked the ground. "Shall we find you some new inspirations?"

"Very well. I will go along with this." Yusuke then gestured his hand for her to lead the way.

Arriving in Ikebukuro, Sumire received instructions from Ren about Yusuke's preferred hangout spots. She then looked for a planetarium where she hoped would help Yusuke in finding a new subject.

"The planetarium?" Yusuke wondered.

"I just figured that maybe space would be a good stimulator for an artist, you know?" She rubbed the back of her neck and looked around.

Yusuke placed a finger in his thumb and analyzed the exhibits. Sumire then found something about nebulae.

"How about that exhibit? The one with the space clouds?"

"Ah! The nebulae! Fascinating find, Kasumi!"

The two then went in to look at the mysterious formations of the nebulae. Although Sumire was confused about the majority of it, she did manage to find interest on how they were formed. Yusuke, on the other hand, was indulged with every single detail and structure of it that he forgot Sumire was with him.

"Um, Yusuke-senpai?"

Full concentration.

"Hello?"

No distractions as he began drawing.

Sumire sighed in exasperation. "Oh well."

She then began roaming around the place when she overheard a couple talking.

"I'm getting this weird feeling that we're being followed, hon."

"Hey, sweetie. Don't worry. I'll deal with whoever is stalking us."

"But what if he's armed?"

"He better not be or he'll get a lot of pain."

Sumire then looked for their supposed stalker of the couple. She stopped when the galaxy exhibit began to show off its display. She sat down and looked at Yusuke, who was on the other side of the area and still drawing.

"Heh. He must be that engrossed to art, even if it'll hurt his..." She trailed off when she saw someone behind Yusuke wearing a hooded jacket.

"Huh?"

She observed the figure pulling out binoculars and spying on the couple from earlier.

"So you're the stalker...."

She kept a close eye on him until he suddenly had the urge to leave. She followed him out of the exhibit and pulled the hood down.

"Dr. Maruki!?" She was stunned.

"Kasumi-san! Wha- What are you doing here??" Even he was shocked as well.

"I was just hanging out with Yusuke-senpai, then he got lost so I came here. Then I thought you were some guy spying on him but-"

Maruki raised his hand, prompting her to stop talking. He looked around and sighed.

"Guess I can't deny it, huh?" He walked to the door. "Come on. We'll talk about it."

Sumire followed him to a corridor with neon lights.

"The truth is... I'm stalking my ex-fiance, Rumi."

"But why?" She couldn't believe that a guy like Maruki would do such a thing.

"It's complicated..."

"Tell me."

Maruki gave an apologetic look to Sumire. "Promise you won't tell anyone?"

She then made a cross on her chest and held her hand up. "Scout's honor!"

"I.... was hoping she'd run back to me one day. And tell me why she left me five months before our wedding."

Sumire then looked back at the place where they came from. "Do you have your answer by looking at them?"

"... No."

She knew the hesitation in his answer, yet she had a sinking feeling he'll be another person to the "Help People as Sumire" list.

"How can I help, Dr. Maruki?"

"Don't bother."

"Huh?"

She never heard him speak coldly before. The oddball Takuto Maruki in front of her is nowhere in sight as a bitter, cold-blooded man stands in his place instead.

"I'm gonna make her talk... even if it means beating the living crap out of him."

"But-"

"I said no, Yoshizawa-san." He sighed as he nearly lost his temper. "I'm sorry... I appreciate the offer of help, but I'm going to decline it. This is a problem I have to face alone."

Maruki then left Sumire alone, opting to stop stalking her instead of continuing for today. Sumire can't help but watch him exit with a downtrodden look.

"This is bad.... I wonder if Senpai knows." She then began texting Ren.

**Kasumi Y.:** Senpai, will you be working in LeBlanc tonight?

**Ren A.:** Yeah, Maruki cancelled our supposed trip today to meet with a client. Why?

**Kasumi Y.:** There's something I should tell you later. Can we talk about it alone?

**Ren A.:** Sure. In my room or in the cafe?

Sumire blushed at the mention of 'room' and immediately replied the latter.

**Kasumi Y.:** THE CAFE!

She swore she can hear Ren's teasing chuckle in her head as she received a reply.

**Ren A.:** No worries. We talk around 8?

**Kasumi Y.:** Yes, please!

After finishing her text, she saw Yusuke exiting the exhibit.

"Yusuke-senpai! How was the exhibit?"

Yusuke hung his head in defeat. "I couldn't capture an exquisite subject in the world of space."

She pats his shoulder. "It's okay. Just review what you drew and think of a way to make it better."

It is now late in the evening when Sumire and Ren finished working in LeBlanc.

"Damn. Too many customers for some reason."

"I know, Senpai." She wiped her hands on her apron as Ren began brewing some coffee for themselves.

"So what was it you wanna talk about?"

Sumire bit her lip for a sec. "It's about Dr. Maruki... Yusuke-senpai and I went to the planetarium in Ikebukuro earlier and..."

Ren sighed as he made his guess. "He's stalking Rumi-san, isn't he?"

"How did you know?" Her tone was more on inquiring than shock.

"Back when I started college, he and Rumi-san were dating. However, due to Maruki's time being focused more on his profession than spending time with her, the two grew distant. And much to his dismay, she called off their engagement 6 months before their wedding.... which was supposed to be last year."

Sumire analyzed the words and made her first deduction. "So did Rumi-san cheat on him despite being engaged?"

".... Yeah." He spoke with remorse.

"That's awful! But why is he still-"

"He wants answers as to why. I know that he loved Rumi-san so much, but he can be a bit clueless when it comes to women's feelings."

_Kinda like what you did to Ann-san?_

"You seem to know about this, don't you?"

"Well," he rubbed the back of his head, "it's not like I can set them up for a proper chat and all..."

An idea flashed onto Sumire's mind, and she pulled her phone out to text Shiho.

"Uh, what are you doing?"

"Texting Shiho-senpai."

"About what?"

Sumire lets out a mischievous laugh. "You'll see."

A few days later, and Maruki was giving a lecture about how a person's relationships can affect their cognition on things. He intentionally called out Sumire to answer his question.

"Yoshizawa-san."

"Yes?"

"There are different types of love in every person. Now let's say a couple fell for each other and broke up, but one of them still has feelings for each other despite the other already showing disinterest. Which type of love would that be?"

Sumire then thought in her head the different types of love until she came up with the right one.

"Manic love would be the suitable answer for it."

Maruki then challenged her answer. "Why would you say that, _Yoshizawa-san?_ "

She stood firm with her answer. "Because it's a way of showing how obsessive the person has become in growing. Rather than move on with the pain in the heart, the person will compulsively seek out the person as means to keep the obsession in tow. However, this also brings up extreme measures that may result in the harm of one or both of them."

Maruki remained quiet as Sumire sat back down. Her classmates began whispering until Maruki showed a sudden strict nature.

"Anyone talking behind Yoshizawa-san's back or anyone who has answered my challenge well will be given a 100-item quiz exclusively!"

Everyone zipped their mouths as Sumire stared at Maruki.

"I'm amazed you answered my challenge. This is the first time I've done this, and you didn't back down. I'm actually impressed."

The bell then rang and signaled the man to end his class. Sumire was about to exit when Maruki stopped her.

"Ren told you everything, didn't he?"

"What m-made you say that, Dr. Maruki?" She nearly stuttered in anxiety.

"I ran into him earlier and he told me to take it easy on you after you found out."

_This is bad, Kasumi! Stay calm, and take deeeeeep breaths._

Sumire then breathed normally to avoid Maruki's sudden change of attitude from hurting her. Shiho arrived on time to see Maruki still gripping Sumire's arm.

"Yo, Doc.... mind if you can let Kasumi come out?"

What Maruki said next began to scare the girls.

"You're not leaving me again, Rumi."

"Wha-"

"Wait, Doc-"

He pulls Sumire back to the classroom and pinned her to the table.

"You're not gonna go unless you give me a goddamn explanation! Why did you cheat behind my back!?"

Now Sumire was scared shitless as her mind went nuts.

_Shitshitshitshitshit!_

_Do something, me!_

_Ugh, what to do.... what to do..._

"D-D-Doctor Maruki..."

Maruki slammed his fist onto the table, hurting Sumire more with his grip.

"Answer my fucking question, Rumi! WHY DID YOU DO IT?!"

Shiho stepped in to try and stop him.

"Damnit, Doc! Snap out of it!"

Maruki pushed her away and caused her knee to sprain again.

"Goddamnit, not again!" Shiho immediately pulled her phone out to call Ren. Meanwhile, Sumire was already tearing up at Maruki's aggression as he brought his hand to her neck.

"If you won't tell me freely... I'll make you tell me instead!"

Sumire began to choke as Shiho tried pulling him off again in pain. Ren arrives on time and punches Maruki straight to the jaw.

"Damnit to hell, Doc! What's gotten into you?!" Shiho angrily said as Ren helps up Sumire.

"Kasumi! Can you breathe well?"

Sumire can only nod as the students converged at what happened.

_Dr. Maruki is off his meds again._

_His PTSD returned?_

_Jeez, and as if Mr. Namatame was bad enough already._

_Hopefully, Dr. Maruki won't get fired. Half of the school relies on him as a counselor._

_Yeah, uh, not if he will suddenly attack a student._

Maruki shook off the after-feeling of the punch and realized what he has done.

"I-I'm sorry, Yoshizawa-san...." He then runs away from the crowd.

"S-Senpai..." She began crying.

Ren hugs her in comfort. "Ssshhhh.... I'm here, okay?"

_Yoshizawa-san sure is getting comfy with Amamiya...._

_Hey, she just came from the attack! Ease off, will ya?_

_I wonder if that will affect her training._

_Who knows? But Suzui-san here is in pain._

Shiho waved them off when they offered to bring her to the clinic. She then approached the two and informed them that they should be leaving.

After what happened, Maruki was suspended for a week for his actions and was recommended to see a psychiatrist (since he lied to the board that he is suffering PTSD instead of an obsessive mania) to calm him down. Sumire was still disturbed by what happened and held off the training until Shiho's knee gets well as well as her neck and wrists. Shiho instructed Ann to keep an eye on her.

"Feeling alright, Kasumi-chan?" Ann said as Sumire laid down studying.

"Mm-hmm. My neck should be alright sooner than my wrists would." She looked at the bruises with a frown.

Ann sat next to her and sighed deeply. "What's gotten into Dr. Maruki like that?"

Sumire then explained to her about his situation with Rumi. Ann felt a mix of emotions from hearing it.

"I... I didn't know that even he had it rough." She somberly spoke.

"I know, Ann-san."

The blonde then looked at her. "So... what are you going to do about it now?"

"Dr. Maruki is a guidance counselor, remember? And the school recommended him for his own counseling...." She gave a determined grin.

"I think I have just the solution."

Five days before her cafe management test, Sumire invites Haru to LeBlanc to show off her part-timer skills while Sojiro co-judges her. Ren, on the other hand, is being treated like he is in a military camp by Futaba.

"My, you never told me you work this well in LeBlanc!" Haru chimed in awe while Sojiro chuckled.

"Well, she has been a natural since she began here. But I could have sworn the customers keep asking for pizza here...." He mumbled the second line as Sumire turned to see the latest customer.

"Good afternoon!"

"Good afternoon." the customer replied. "I'm here for a Ren Mamamiya."

The man in question sighed at the murder of his own name. "Amamiya, not Mamamiya."

The customer giggled. "My bad." She then extends her hand. "Rumi Mayonaka."

"Nice to meet you, Rumi-san. Would you like a Colombian brew or our recent promo, the Caribbean Combo?"

After Rumi picked the latter, Ren gestured Futaba to wait at the door. Sojiro and Haru wondered until Maruki entered.

"You called me over, Yoshizawa-san?" He then took a glance at the woman by the booths.

"R-Rumi?"

"Takuto? Wha-"

Both of them spoke simultaneously.

"What are you doing here?"

Rumi sighed deeply and looked at Ren. "You set us up."

"He attacked my co-worker during class. Apparently, his 'PTSD' isn't helping."

"PTSD? Why in God's name did you claim that as PTSD, Takuto?"

Maruki took deep breaths as he tried to calmly request an explanation from her.

"I want to know why, Rumi. Why you left me..."

Rumi pinched her nose bridge and looked at the people by the counter. She then noticed Sumire approaching them with the coffee and showing her bruises in the neck.

"Takuto..."

"I'm really sorry for harming my own student. It just came over me and-"

"That doesn't excuse you for your actions." Rumi then made a deal.

"If I tell you why I left you, will you leave me alone for good this time?" She crossed her arms.

Maruki contemplated on the deal. Knowing that refusing the deal would let him see her again more often with the impression of obsession all over. Knowing that accepting the deal would mean permanently erasing her from his life. Sumire spoke up while he was contemplating.

"Dr. Maruki here is a very good guy, Rumi-san. He can be a bit goofy at times, but he's been helpful."

Rumi furrowed her brows. "Then explain why he would ignore me for the sake of his job."

"I may not know the full detail of it, but I'm certain that a part of him regrets putting his work over you in terms of priorities."

Rumi glared at Maruki, who was then snapped out by Sumire.

"Dr. Maruki, we know you love Rumi-san so much. But not everything is at our favor. You need to let go of Rumi-san, right here and right now."

Maruki went foolish when he asked her a question. "Are you contented with him?"

"Don't fucking ask me that, Takuto. You, a psychologist of all people, should know when to cross the boundaries."

Maruki sighed deeply. Rumi then pointed out the reason at last.

"Takuto, I used to love you for your headstrong yet caring nature. You could be impulsive at times, but it results in hilarity in the end. You've changed ever since you began teaching in East Shinjuku, and that's where I lost you. You never treated me like a fiance anymore, so I decided to find someone else without breaking your heart yet." She chuckled awkwardly. "I guess I kinda did the moment I threw the ring back at you."

Maruki looked down with sadness in his eyes. "So... it's mostly my fault."

"No." Sumire decided to interrupt and give her deduction. "Both of you are."

She looked at Rumi first. "Rumi-san, you loved Dr. Maruki up until he became a teacher and a counselor. You've managed to forget that a counselor who cares gives the best advice in letting someone solve their problems. It was quite selfish of you to not give him a chance to make up for lost time."

Now it was Maruki's turn. "Dr. Maruki, you loved Rumi-san until she dated someone behind your back. It was due to how over-caring you are to your students' needs and you preferred helping them out more about their futures than your own with Rumi-san. You cared too much to the point where you ended up careless."

Both of them looked down in shame. Haru covered her gasp while Sojiro's eyes widened at Sumire's words. Futaba was recording the whole talk to relay it to Shiho while Ren smiled at how she delivered the impromptu counseling session.

"You now know her reason, Dr. Maruki. Will you stay true to your word about leaving her alone?"

With no other choice after finally hearing the reason, Maruki nods his head slowly. Rumi placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Cheer up, Takuto. Just because I don't love you anymore doesn't mean I forgot all the good times we had together."

"H-Huh?" He was stunned.

"I just wished it ended well for us."

Maruki sobbed as Rumi stood up and hugged him for comfort. Sumire can't help but feel a bit jittery from the feeling.

_I wonder if that helped him entirely._

_Yeah, but what about us?_

_I just wish it will end well for me. Everything has to be for Kasumi._

_But I'm just Classic Sumire. I'm nothing special."_

Rumi then helped Maruki up. "I think you should apologize to my husband as well. Why not I invite you over for dinner and set a few things straight?"

"O-Okay then, Rumi..."

The two then left the cafe, leaving everyone inside with different reactions.

"Oh, my goodness, Yoshizawa-san! You were amazing!" Haru pulled her in for a bear hug.

"Not bad, not bad." Futaba stopped the recording and clapped her hands.

"Heh. You make a better counselor than Ren here." Sojiro took the opportunity to jest against Ren, who shot him a playful glare.

"Hey, I give better advice." He then turned to Sumire. "Still, I'm actually surprised you pulled it off well."

Sumire blushed as business resumed in LeBlanc until dinnertime.

Later on, after arriving home in Ann's condo, Sumire took her bath and lounged at the living room to study while Ann was waiting for something.

"Waiting for something, Ann-san?"

Ann blushed at Sumire's question. "Uh, I don't want to talk about it."

Sumire shrugged and continued studying until she gets a call from Maruki.

"Yoshizawa speaking."

_"Kasumi-chan....."_ He seems to be sobbing a bit _. "I want to say thank you for today."_

"Don't mention it. I wouldn't have done it if it were for Ren-senpai."

_"I can tell. To be honest, it lifted something off my chest. Tonight, I just dinner with Rumi and her husband.... and our kid, to say the surprise."_

"WHAT!?"

Maruki laughed. _"Yeah. Even I was shocked to not notice. I didn't want to believe at first, but the baby I saw had my eyes and forehead and long limbs."_

Sumire couldn't find the words for the sudden revelation.

_"It's okay if you have nothing to say. Even I'm still speechless about it. But even so, thank you once again for letting me talk to Rumi and clear off the burden that has been haunting me. Although my own son won't recognize me when he grows up, it's for the best that he gets parents who care for him than neglect him."_

Sumire's thoughts then went deep into a depressive hole as Maruki bade farewell and ended the call. She was so bothered that she ignored Ann carrying the package and running to her room.

_Parents who care, huh? I wonder how Mom and Dad are doing...._

_._

_._

_._

_.... As if they'll care about me. I've been gone for months, and nothing bothered them at all._

_._

_._

_._

_.... I really am worthless to them. It'll always be Kasumi who they care for, not me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the only problem that Sumire suddenly got triggered by. Unexpectedly, Maruki is a dad. But he decided to let Rumi care for the kid more than he will since he felt like he is not worthy to be a parent.
> 
> After helping Maruki out, is it time for Sumire to show off to her friends her gymnast skills while keeping up with exams? Find out on "Balancing Act"!


	11. Balancing Act

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Sumire helps Maruki in his personal obsession with his ex-fiance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Newwwww chapter!

Examination day has arrived, and Sumire is the first one up in the cafe management practical exam. There is bias in her performance since Haru herself witnessed how she works in LeBlanc, but as for her other exams....

_Why the hell did I forget the equation now?_

Although she excels in academics, Math isn't her strongest subject. And neither was Kasumi's, to save her skin.

_Focus, Sumire!_

**Q:** Author of 'A Christmas Carol'.

 **A:** Charles Dickens.

 **Q:** Which of the following is not a main ingredient in a salad?

 **A:** Beef ribs

 **Q:** Which fish has more value on the market?

 **A:** Salmon

 **Q:** Another name for French Fries

 **A:** Liberty Fries

 **Q:** True or False. Bananas are berries.

 **A:** True

 **Q:** The theorem where a + b = c.

 **A:** Pythagorean theorem

_I hope I answered that right._

First day of her exams are done, and Sumire began showing signs of defeat.

"Ugh, I should've focused more...." She muttered as she spots Shiho with a disappointed look. "Shiho-senpai?"

"Motherfucker, I can't handle any more of that Statistics exam." The ravenette groaned as she slumped next to Sumire.

"You too, huh?"

"Yep. I can't believe that Ushimaru, of all people, had to replace Toriumi for today's exam!"

Sumire spots Ren, who seemingly looks okay.

"I bet you did well, Ren-senpai." She huffed.

"Hey, I struggled too." He objected, earning an audible gag from Shiho.

"You? Struggle? You're a dean's lister, for crying out loud!"

"That doesn't guarantee automatic stress-free bullshit." He sighed.

Sumire decided to lighten the mood up. "Hey, we should practice now!"

"Huh?" Shiho registered what she meant a second later. "Oh. Right."

"At this time?" Ren gave a quizzical look at Sumire.

"Mm-hmm!" Sumire beamed. "Anything to remove the terror that is called exams!"

Shiho and Ren chuckled at her words.

"Even an honor student hates exams."

"Yeah, except one."

"Oh. Niijima-san."

Sumire cocked her head in confusion. "Who?"

"An old friend of ours."

Sumire didn't ask further and stood up. "Well, what are we waiting for? To Inokashira Park!"

Ren helps up Shiho, who opted for core and arm exercises for now.

_Gymnastics in December. I hope I can win this for Kasumi...._

Sumire was mentally troubled as she practiced her twirls. She stumbled thrice already and if it weren't for Ren's reflexes, she'd be falling over one too many times.

"You've been losing balance a lot, Kasumi-chan. Something wrong?" Shiho asked her.

"It's nothing. P-Probably the exams." She replied with unease.

Ren then had an idea and struck a deal.

"Say, why not you show us your moves so far for today? If I get really impressed, I'd treat you for some sushi in Ginza. Just you and me."

Shiho smacked his head in disapproval, but Ren just chuckled and looked back at Sumire.

"Is it a deal, Kasumi?"

"Uh... um, yes... I guess?"

Ren and Shiho then crossed their arms and legs at the same time as Sumire stood in the open path.

_I gotta do this. For Kasumi..._

_Anything to let Ren-senpai love me...._

She then whipped her hand in the air for her starting form and began moving her body gracefully. She spun like a ballerina and leapt like a swan, bringing both Ren and Shiho in awe. A few more spins without falling, and Ren began to lean forward to watch her more.

"Like what ya see?" Shiho teased him again.

"She's so.... graceful." He muttered with a low voice.

"Yeah. I've seen her practice and all, but this one is way different..." She commented as Sumire kept going.

The redhead finally ends her temporary moves with two hands extended to Ren and Shiho, who give her an applause.

"Awesome, Kasumi!" Ren complimented her as she blushed.

"T-Thank you, R-Ren-senpai." She sheepishly thanked him as Shiho limped to them.

"I gotta say. Practice and actual performance do differ."

Sumire can't help but smile. "Will you watch me again tomorrow? But please bring Yusuke-senpai and Ryuji-senpai with you."

Ren nods his head while she and Shiho bade him farewell to study more.

Second day of the exams begin, and Kawakami observes Sumire in her skills at creating an appetizer (cheesy calamares), a main course (salmon slab topped with oyster sauce, honey, and sided with mashed potatoes), and dessert (vanilla ice cream, which she made on her own). Although she had a few errors in the main course, she still garnered the top score. Once again, she placed her concentration on the written exams afterwards.

 **Q:** What was Harland Sanders' job prior to handling KFC?

 **A:** Colonel in the U.S. Army.

 **Q:** The moniker of Dionysus.

 **A:** God of wine and parties.

 **Q:** The result of having too much sugar in your body system.

 **A:** Sugar rush

 **Q:** French dessert

 **A:** Creme brule

 **Q:** True or False. It is recommended to eat porcupine fish raw.

 **A:** False.

With the second day of exams done, Sumire can sigh in defeat again as she waited for Shiho and Ren to show up. She felt her eyes getting heavy as she tries to find them instead. Instead, she collapsed on the spot as Shiho arrived on time. An hour later, Sumire wakes up in the clinic with Shiho watching over her.

"What's up, sleepin' beauty?" She smirked.

"Shiho-senpai... wait, why am I here?" She looked around to find the nurse.

"You collapsed when I found you. I brought you here ASAP."

Sumire looked down and wondered what happened to her.

_Hey, why did I suddenly collapse?_

_Kasumi never collapses. I just hope no one knows about it._

_Classic Sumire. The fatigue is kicking in..._

Shiho looked at her scrunched face. "Hey, why not you take a break for now? No studying or practices."

Sumire nods and takes the blanket off of her. "I should probably head for LeBlanc."

"And none of that either."

"Ren-senpai!" Sumire fixed herself as Ren entered the clinic.

"I heard what happened. You look like you're overworking yourself." He placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to blush and shudder.

_What. The eff._

_This warm fuzzy feeling is back...._

_It's like that whenever he touches me..._

_God, I wish he'd touch me everywhere._

_WAIT! Sumire, no!_

_Kasumi, yes!_

"Kasumi?" Shiho snapped her fingers in front of her. "You feeling alright?"

"H-H-Huh?"

Ren chuckled at her reaction to Shiho's snap-out. "You're cute when you space out, you know that?"

"C-C-C-Cute!?" She felt smoke coming out of her ears out of embarrassment.

"You broke her again, Ren." Shiho gave him an annoyed look.

"What did I do?"

Sent home immediately by Ren and Shiho, Sumire ignored their orders of resting and stretched a bit in her room. She suddenly hears Ann moaning in her room and blushes intensely.

"I should probably listen to something to avoid-"

Her moans got louder, making Sumire completely uncomfortable as she puts on her headphones and puts the music at loud volume.

"Now, how to go with this song?" She then tried out a few moves to synchronize with the song. Although a bit stiff at first, her moves then began to flow well as she suddenly sang the lyrics while practicing.

"Near, far, wherever you are...

I believe that the heart has go on

Once more, you open the door

And you're in my heart and

My heart will go on..."

She didn't realize her singing interrupted Ann's masturbation session and made her listen to her singing.

"Whoa... Kasumi-chan..." Ann stuck her ear on the wall to hear some more.

"You're here, there's nothing I fear

And I know that my heart will go on!

We'll stay forever this way

You are saving my heart and my heart will go on and on...."

Sumire bowed after finishing her last move, panting from all the energy she spent on graceful dancing. When she turned around, she saw Ann covering her body with a blanket and clapping.

"Good show, Kasu-"

"Ann-san.... why are you... uh...." Sumire felt very flushed as she looked up and down at Ann's bare body.

"Huh?" She then realized. "Oh, uh... Sorry. I should dress up first."

Sumire buried her face in her hands before she and Ann had a chat.

Third and final day of the exams has begun, and Sumire did her best in answering the exams despite the fact that her mind was too focused on the performance she did and having a naked woman be her audience at that.

"How come I end up being face to face with naked girls? Is this my curse for pretending to be the bold Kasumi?" Sumire murmured until Haru approached her.

"Kasumi-chan?"

"Yes?" She rose her head instantly at the sound of Haru's voice.

"Um, are you okay?"

"O-Of course! Why wouldn't I be?" Her awkward laughter didn't help.

"I overheard Suzui-san and Ren-kun that you'll be showing them your moves as a gymnast, and I hope you won't mind if I watched with you..."

Sumire blushed again. _The more, the merrier....._

As she and Haru arrive in Inokashira Park, they were greeted by Ren, Shiho, Ryuji, Yusuke, and Futaba.

"Whoa! Haru joined the party." Futaba blurted out.

"Long time no see as well, Futaba-chan. How's college?" Haru ruffled the orange-headed girl's hair.

"Exams suck!"

"That's Futaba's schooling in a nutshell." Yusuke added more fuel to Futaba's fire as he received a stomp to the foot from her.

"Yo.... Haru... good to see ya." Ryuji sheepishly greeted her.

"It's been a while, Ryuji-kun. How are you and Mak-"

Ryuji covered her mouth quickly before she would say a name, peaking everyone's curiosity.

"That was rude, you know."

"Sorry!" He leaned towards her ear. "Don't tell them about me and her."

"Oh, it was supposed to be a secret?"

That made them more curious.

"Argh, never mind! So, Kasumi.... mind if you can show us what you got?"

A nearby voice then alerted them.

"She's gonna have to listen to music for that."

Everyone turned to see Ann, who only sports her lips stick and little eye shadow as she marched her way to them.

"Ann..." Shiho cautiously looked at Ren and Ann.

"So.... it's been a while, Ann." Ren tried to speak nicely, but the awkward air around them intensified.

"You too, Ren...."

Silence was their friend for three straight minutes. No one, not even Sumire, can break the ice.

"Dude, say something!"

"Ann, say something to remove the air...."

Both of them looked at Sumire, who was looking away from them as her mind ran again.

_Those two.... it's as if they don't hate each other..._

_What am I then? A temporary girl until he and Ann-san are back?_

_Kasumi Yoshizawa is no pushover!_

_But Ann-san said she doesn't want a romantic relationship with Ren-senpai anymore...._

_Who knows? Maybe he'll be fucking her behind my back._

_Okay, that sounded weird despite it being a spiteful assumption._

"Kasumi-chan." She snapped her fingers at Sumire.

"Huh? Oh, right." She then became bashful at the very sight of a music player Ann brought.

"What's with the, uh, music player?" Ryuji asked Ann.

"I saw her perform last night. She did very well."

"At the expense of seeing you nude." Sumire mumbled under her breath.

"Oh, Kasumi..." Ren playfully shook his head and jested. "What will I ever do to you?"

"Sushi date." She bluntly said, infuriating Ryuji and Futaba.

"THE HELL!? YOU PROMISED ME SUSHI!"

"DUDE, THE BETRAYAL IS COLD!"

Sumire couldn't help but laugh at their reactions. Rather than scold her for it, Ren pecked her cheek and told her to start.

"Come on. That little kiss was a kick-starter."

Ann asked for her phone and whispered in her ear.

"Knock us dead, Kasumi-chan. Just do what you did last night."

Sumire gulped.

_They're watching me! I can't believe they're watching me!_

_Deep breaths, stay focused, and everything will be fine.... Right?_

Ann played the music as Sumire began to recompose herself for her moves. As she began, Ren, Ann, and Shiho still displayed smiles while Ryuji, Futaba, and Haru showed interested looks. Yusuke, being Yusuke, began taking photos of Sumire as he hoped it would help him in his art.

Sumire swayed and hopped and twirled as she began to feel the song in her veins. Once again, she accidentally sings the lyrics as the song reaches its last stanza.

"You're here, there's nothing I fear

And I know that my heart will go on

We'll stay forever this way

You are saving my heart and my heart will go on and on....."

Finishing her move with one hand extended, the other flexing like she has a sword on her shoulders, and her left knee raised and bent in the air... she turned mighty red at the sight of everyone giving her a round of applause.

"Whoo! Way to go, Kasumi!"

_Kasumi...._

"That was wicked, Kasumi!"

_It's always Kasumi...._

"Kasumi-chan, that was marvelous!"

_It's never Sumire...._

"What an exciting performance, Kasumi-san."

_It'll never be Sumire..._

"So you've finally done it, Kasumi-chan."

_When will it ever be about me?_

Shiho looked at Sumire before she could congratulate her. "Kasu-"

Without a second to lose, Sumire ran away from them with tears going down her cheek. Everyone was baffled at what happened.

"What just happened?" Ann asked.

"I dunno. Was it natural for her to cry after a performance?" Ryuji asked.

"If I remember right, she said she was having issues regarding gymnastics and herself." Ren recalled the time Sumire shared a personal matter to him.

Shiho then looked at Sumire in the distance, still running away.

"Go after her, Ren."

Ren turned around to see Ann crossing her arms. "You promised her a date, right? Go get her."

"Ann-"

"Don't. Please."

Ren then shook off the bad feeling and ran after Sumire. Meanwhile, Ann looked at everyone, who was feeling uneasy around her, and sighed deeply.

"Wanna go have some coffee with me, Shiho?" She hoped her restrained friendship with Shiho would be tolerable for now.

Shiho nods as she checked her watch. "Better hurry, Ren...."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I know I used 'My Heart Will Go On' as Sumire's motivational song, but there's something about rhythmic gymnastics and soothing music that makes things go well with the flow as the moves synchronize with the melody. I dunno if it's just me, though.
> 
> Breaking down from her disturbed thoughts, Sumire runs away from everyone. Will the date in Ginza cheer her up? Stay tuned for "I Want A Smile From You", as Ren (and Ryuji) finds a way to keep Sumire happy with herself!


	12. I Want A Smile From You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Sumire survived Exam Week while working on a new routine. After performing, she runs away from the group, prompting Ren to go after her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whazzup! New chapter here!
> 
> Okay, so we all know that Sumire has quite a dirty mind (if ya noticed her dialogue involving bedrooms). And she's not just embarrassed at looking at Ann and Shiho naked already but she happens to be insecure about it as well. You'll know why soon enough in the upcoming chapters.
> 
> Speaking of chapters, I'll be doing some quick uploads of 3 more chapters, since I have stuff to do regarding my school clearance by Thursday. This is the first of those 3.
> 
> For now, let's begin!

Sumire kept running after a breakdown in Inokashira Park, and her legs brought her as far as they can to avoid gathering any form of attention to her. Without even looking in front of her, she bumps into a woman with silver hair.

"Ow!" She looked up and saw the woman being upset. "I'm sorry!"

"You should at least watch where you're going instead of your own feet." The woman replied as another woman, a brunette wearing a black vest and white shirt, reprimands her.

"Sis! You can't just say that to someone who is troub- Kasumi Yoshizawa?"

_Great. More people...._

Sumire was about to run when the brunette pulled her arm.

_What the hell!? Such strength!_

"Hey, don't be scared! I'm sorry if my sister here is intimidating to look at." The brunette explained while her sister scoffed.

"Speak for yourself, Makoto. Your grip on her arm is turning it red."

The woman named Makoto lets Sumire go. Already lost the urge to run away, Sumire apologized again before the gray-haired sister interrupted her.

"I'm sorry, but I'm actually amazed you've recovered already. I don't know why the report keeps saying you're still in a coma."

Sumire then came up with her usual alibi. "Oh, that's not really true. But the person under the coma is my twin sister, Sumire."

_Who should've been dead instead of walking around pretending to be her nearly-dead twin._

"I see." Makoto just said as she noticed Ren and Ryuji catching up to Sumire. "Ah, speaking of dates..."

Her sister groaned. "Oh, great. Your boyfriend is here."

Ren and Ryuji stopped suddenly at the sight of Makoto and her sister. Ryuji immediately hid behind Ren.

"Ren-Ren, do something!" He hissed.

"The fuck? Why me!?" He retorted.

"Dude, I ruined the last date with Makoto! Please don't let her sister snap my neck....." Ryuji pleaded.

Ren sighed at the words 'ruined the last date', and with the knowledge of Makoto being one of his flings in the past...

"Uh, hey Makoto. Sae-san."

"Ren. Long time no see."

"You haven't been seeing Makoto for a while. I was hoping you and her would be the ones in bed together." Sae explicitly said with a straight face, embarrassing Makoto.

"Sis! You can't say that out in the open!" Her eyes then squinted as she spotted Ryuji. "As for you, Ryuji.... you owe me a make-up date!"

"Look, I'm sorry if I snuck out because I had less cash in Dome Town and-"

Sumire herself was disappointed as well. "Ryuji-senpai! You left her alone in the middle of a date?"

"Ryuji-senpai?"

"Hey, don't butt in!"

"What do you mean 'don't butt in'? I'm a girl, remember? It hurts our feelings when we're left alone."

Sumire's tone shifted from angry to sad at the mention of the last part, prompting Ren to tug her in and hug her. Sae and Makoto looked in bewilderment at the sight as Ryuji explained.

"She and Ren-Ren are in the early stages of flirting-slash-mutual understanding. I dunno how they met, but it seems that they're comfortable with each other."

Sae then analyzed Sumire closely. "Why is her hair red?"

"She probably dyed it to avoid attention." He assumed. Makoto then gave him a stern reply.

"Even if you color your hair, your face is still something someone would take notice. So if you plan on having a facial surgery, I will kill you."

Ryuji jumped in fear and begged for her to not get sadistic. Sae then ignored her sister and her boyfriend and went to Ren and Sumire.

"I see you're dating Amamiya-kun, Yoshizawa-san."

Still sniffling from her crying, Sumire nods her head. "S-S-Senpai here knows h-h-how to cheer me up w-w-w-when I'm down like r-r-right now."

Sae then looked at Ren. "She's not another fling of yours, is she?"

Sumire froze at the words, hoping Sae's assumptions aren't true.

"Nah. I'm hoping that we'll reach an understanding to see if we're meant to be."

_Hoping? So he never saw me as a girlfriend? That bastard._

Sumire pushed herself away from Ren with a frustrated look.

"Hoping if we're meant to be? What the hell does that mean!?"

Sae facepalmed. _Here we go again._

"Kasumi, I-"

"NO! Don't you dare go near me unless you admit we're meant to be!" Sumire ran off again, the mentality of Kasumi still circling in her head.

_That good-for-nothing asshole! Every woman he befriends ends up being only flings!_

_I guess that would make sense since Ann-san still has her lust in her while Ren has no goddamn clue on how to be honest and not offensive. Hmph!_

_Who's next? He'll dump me for some maid he fucking met in a maid cafe?_

Ren sighed in defeat. "Man, I'm getting unlucky with women lately."

"I have to agree. Not only did you had sex with Makoto after breaking up with Takamaki, you ended up suggesting her to your friend." Sae chided him for how bad he is with girls.

"Hey, at least your sister now has someone to mess around with." Ren defended himself.

"I know. But Sakamoto-kun barely has any decency except for his compassion and respect towards the ones he cares for."

"True."

Makoto then walked to the two while dragging Ryuji by the back of his collar.

"Ryuji told me you and Kas- Where'd she go?"

"Ren here didn't make her happy with the way he explained to me about their relationship."

Makoto furrowed her brows at Ren. "Another fling? Damnit, Ren! As if the last time you had sex with me was bad enough already after you gave me this idiot for a boyfriend....."

Ren groaned in irritation while Ryuji snickered.

"You're getting grilled for having flings, Ren-Ren."

"And you're getting grilled by your own girlfriend and her sister for abandoning the former in Dome Town." Ren barked back, forcing the sisters to scold Ryuji instead as he looked for Sumire.

_Kasumi shouldn't be that far. Knowing that this place is-_

"Hey! Let me go!"

Ren can hear Sumire's voice echoing as he ran to her location. He then finds her being harassed by some creep.

"Come on, sugar. It'll only be a quick pop."

"Like hell!" She stomped on his foot and received a smack to the face as Ren charged in a second after she got hit.

"What the f-" The man was suddenly getting beaten to a pulp as Sumire recovers and attempts to pull Ren off.

"Ren-senpai, he's down already! Let's just go..." She successfully tugs Ren outta the fight, scaring him in the process.

"Holy crap! I thought the cops were the ones yanking me."

"Huh? Why is that?"

Ren then realized what he said. "Shit. Disregard that."

Sumire complied, but wondered why he was concerned with police as Ryuji and Makoto found them.

"Hey! Get in!" Makoto called Ren and Sumire from the passenger's window.

"Dude, they'll take us to Ginza for the sushi!" Ryuji showed an enormous grin on his face. "Don't tell Futaba!"

Ren and Sumire then recovered and entered the car. Sae saw Sumire's face bruising.

"What happened to you!?"

"Some guy was trying to pull her in for an attempted rape." Ren replied as he pointed at the unconscious harasser. Sae sighed in annoyance.

"Makoto, not one scratch for my car."

"Sis?"

Sae then told her that she'll be arresting the harasser while they will enjoy Ginza instead without her. Makoto frowned, but understood her instructions as she drove them to the sushi restaurant.

"I can't believe my own boyfriend acts like a child."

Makoto huffed as they took a quick break in the gas station due to Ryuji wanting to take a piss. While the blonde boy did his restroom business, Ren and Sumire checked the mini-convenience store for an ice pack. After finding one, Ren paid and gave it to Sumire, who ran back to the car and puts the pack onto her bruised cheek.

"It looks bad?" Sumire asked Makoto, who winced and nodded.

"Yeah. it's not clearly bruising, but the color is just at its waxing period."

Sumire covered her eyes and cried while Makoto looked at Ren.

"You really don't know how to say the right words to women."

"The hell does that mean?"

"Ren, just because I'm your fling for 5 months not too long ago doesn't mean I don't know a thing about you."

"Can lower your voice? The F word isn't exactly what she wants to hear now."

Makoto grabbed Ren by the color. "Listen, buster! Your objective today is to make her smile again! I know that deep down you are attracted to this girl, but please do not take her for granted!"

"I never took any girl for granted." Ren pushed Makoto away to fix his collar until she mentioned Ann.

"We're not talking about this."

"Oh, we will." Makoto locks the car doors to indicate she isn't done talking. "Knowing you, you've been running away from a few problems."

"Watch that mouth of yours, Niijima."

"Dude, don't badmouth my girlfriend!"

The pair then see Ryuji with an angry look. He wasn't pleased with the conversation as well.

"Just make Kasumi happy for today, okay?"

Ren sighed and complied with the two to make Sumire smile before the end of the day....

.

.

.

.... Or so they thought.

"Damnit, full already?" Ryuji hung his head down in disbelief.

"Sorry, kid. It's a full house until later tonight."

"WHAT!?" Ren yelled. "But I made reservations for tonight in this restaurant!"

"Wait just a moment." The receptionist checked the list. "Ren Amamiya, was it?"

"Yes."

"Table for two?"

"Yep."

Makoto and Ryuji stared at him blankly.

_Wow. Even for a fuck-up, Ren knows how to make dates special._

_Dude, I can't believe Ren-Ren still knows how to pick up girls!_

Sumire herself was lost in thought, as evident in her frown. Apparently, she still feels depressed. Makoto notices this and borrows her from Ren for some talk.

"You feeling okay?" Makoto asked. Sumire shook her head.

"Why not? The Kasumi Yoshizawa everyone knows never shows this much sadness."

_EXACTLY._

"Well, this is the side that everyone would love to not know about." Little did Makoto know that she meant it in a different way.

"I'm so sorry to assume you are not so troubled, Yoshizawa-san. I'm sure Ren will cheer you up."

Suddenly, Sumire blurted out something she wished she never said.

"Like taking me to bed and leaving me the next day?"

Makoto's eyes widened as Sumire realized it and covered her mouth.

_What. The hell._

_I can't believe I said that to an ex-fling._

_Oh, no! She'll hate me for sure now!_

"N-Not exactly, Yoshizawa-san. He's a very resourceful person, and trust me: we do more hangouts than sex." Makoto clarified as she felt the rising blush on her face.

_Huh? Is she blushing?_

_Even she gets flustered about IT._

Ren then approached the girls and told them that the reservation has been upgraded to four seats, but they will wait until 9 pm for their slots. Ryuji followed with a dissatisfied look.

"Man, this is gonna be like Ueno all over again." He mumbled.

"What happened in Ueno?" Makoto inquired, to which Ren answered.

"He tried to bring me and Kasumi to the museum an hour after it closed."

Makoto can help but show a small smile while shaking her head.

"Oh, Ryuji. What will I ever do with you?"

For the next few hours, Ren and Ryuji took their dates to the Odaiba Seaside Park to kill time. Although Makoto thinks of it under the impression of making up for last time, Ren tried to talk to Sumire to cheer her up. He eventually gave up when she flat out ignored him or answered him vaguely.

_Yeah, take the damn hint! Thinking of me as a sex object instead of a true woman._

_But in all honesty, I haven't even done it at all._

_Well, Kasumi did. But not me._

_Ugh, this is gonna be embarrassing if Kasumi told Ren she is already touched._

Sumire's thoughts began to whirl as Ren tickled her ribs. She yelped with a high pitch and looked at Ren holding his laugh.

"Fine! You win! We'll talk!" She shouted as Ren gave her a juice box.

"Sorry. Can't help it." He then sat on a bench and pats the space next to him. Sumire then sat down and started drinking.

"Look, I dunno what happened at the park that made you break down. But I'm really sorry for what I said earlier."

She stayed quiet.

"I'm not exactly great with words since I tend to think deeply on what happens if I say this and that."

Silence still stood between them.

"Look, Kasumi. I-"

She broke her silence for a bit.

"You planning to find someone else while we're still going out?"

"Well, we're unofficially a couple. But-"

Sumire abruptly stands up and walks away from him as she felt the urge to be mad at him and cry at the same time. She felt her hand being grabbed as she turned to see Ren.

"Please, will you listen to me?"

"I really don't want to listen to you, Ren-senpai. You know those words hurt me."

"I just... I... argh, damnit!"

She flinched at how frustrated Ren is with himself.

"I don't see you as someone who I can bed and leave, okay? In honesty, Makoto was only a fling because she also saw me as one. We both came from broken relationships and then we just went to bed and fucked like rabbits to remove the thoughts."

"Not making me comfortable..."

_Grrrr, the audacity of that woman!_

"Sorry. But I'm speaking the truth here."

Sumire then crossed her arms. "Go on."

_Hold those tears, Kasumi! Make him look like he lost the argument!_

_But his words... for some reason, they're... reasonable._

_Jeez, Sumire. Way to state the obvious._

"But the difference is Makoto was desperate for love again. I don't want to go into rebound, so I tried hooking her up with Ryuji for commitments. In the end..." He glanced at Makoto and Ryuji, who just exited their gondola. "She's happy to be with him despite how wacky Ryuji can be."

Sumire looked at the two as well. "What are you implying then?"

"I see you as a true lover than a lust mate."

Sumire gave up and buried her face in his chest and wept. She can hear Ren apologizing again and hugged him tighter.

"I'm sorry, Kasumi."

_I'm sorry for Kasumi, too._

"It's okay, Senpai. I'm more sorry to jumping to conclusions."

In the distance, Makoto and Ryuji smiled.

"Ya think the sushi would cheer her spirits even more?" Ryuji asked.

"Not if we can corner Ren and his embarrassing moments to her." Makoto gave a mischievous grin.

"Huh? Like the time he-"

"Save it for later, sweetie."

Returning to the sushi restaurant, Ren and the others finally sat down and looked at the menu. Sumire inadvertently placed her orders without realizing that Ren, Ryuji, and Makoto haven't even chose their meal.

"Whoops. Sorry." She hid her bashful (yet bruised) face.

"Eh, don't worry about it. With Ren-Ren and Makoto payin' and all-"

"Excuse me?"

"Dude, you suck as a boyfriend."

"Hey! Not my fault my job ain't paying me much."

Sumire caught what Ryuji said and asked him about his job. Makoto blushed as Ren was ready to hear what Ryuji's new job is.

"I work two jobs, honestly. By day, I work at the docks with a couple of others. I'm the one giving them physical training as well as being a sailor on the ship."

"Tugboat, Ryuji." Ren snickered.

"Ah, shuddup!" Ryuji discarded his correction. "Anyway, at night I work as a bouncer in the new nightclub by Asakusa."

Makoto's eyes widened again. "Are you talking about Paradise Suspicious!?"

"What!? Hell no! Not after what happened years ago with those two guys!" Ryuji defended himself, unaware that he accidentally spilled the beans.

"Oh? You talking about Angel and Julian?"

"Dude, how do you remember their names!?"

"Who are they, Ren?" Makoto's tone was curiosity over anger.

"Well, back in our senior year in high school..."

"Ren, don't you dare!"

Sumire and Makoto looked at Ren as they wait for their food. "We went out to Shinjuku to look for a man named Junpei Iori for the new workout equipment Ryuji ordered. Hilariously-"

"Come on, man! The betrayal!" Ryuji pleaded as Ren gave a smug grin and continued.

"Hilariously, while waiting for Mr. Iori... Ryuji began flexing his muscles while talking about how buff he was gonna be with the equipment. Little did he know that those two were behind him and began touching him everywhere."

Both girls blushed, triggering Ryuji even more.

"Not like that, you pervs!"

Makoto punched his ribs. "You're one to talk, staring at my ass almost every date we go to."

"I was j-j-joking, Makoto...." Ryuji winced in pain.

"So what happened to Ryuji-senpai?"

"He got dragged along and was made to cross-dress alongside them. The other option was to have fun with a person name Christian."

"OKAY! Enough with my embarrassing moment of my life." Ryuji pleaded one more time before Ren sent a photo of Ryuji cross-dressing to Sumire and Makoto. Both girls held their laughter for a bit as Ryuji found out what Ren did.

"You guys are monsters!"

"Hihihihihihhahahahahahahahaha!" Makoto laughed so hard that she was nearly out of breath when the food was finally served. Ryuji and Makoto were appalled by the amount of food Sumire ordered.

"Dude, do you have enough money for that?" Ryuji whispered to Ren.

"I only have 100,000 yen. This order looks spot-on to be 100,000 yen exact." Ren groaned as Sumire looked at them.

"Is something wrong?" She tilted her head in confusion.

Makoto shook her head furiously while Ryuji still gawked at her food.

"I can share, if you want some." She offered, to which Ryuji and Makoto declined.

"More for us then. Right, Senpai?"

"Save some for Ann. I dunno if I owe her one or she owes me one."

Makoto heard him mention Ann's name. "You and Ann already talked?"

Ryuji then explained what happened earlier, making Makoto wish she saw Sumire perform.

"Thank you for the food!" Sumire cheerfully exclaimed as she began eating fast.

"So, Kasumi... what embarrassing thing about Ren do you wanna know?"

"Huh?"

"Embarrassing thing about Senpai?"

Ren choked on his sashimi and drank the water immediately. "Okay, bud. If this is out of retaliation..."

"Nope!" He said. "If Kasumi here needs to know you more, you gotta let her know about your embarrassing shit!"

Sumire then took this chance to bite back at Ren for his teasing in the past. "True. I mean, he sure is a flirt especially when working in LeBlanc...."

"Kasumi..." Ren was beginning to feel pressured.

".... and he would often squeeze my butt when Sakura-san wasn't looking." She gave a playful wink.

"Ugh, you three....." Ren groaned.

"Did you really touch her in the middle of work, Ren?" Makoto was this close to scolding him, but the frizzy-haired boy defended himself.

"She just sat on some curry powder! I just wiped it off and all, but no squeezing!"

"But don't you have a thing for butts though? I mean, you certainly liked mine when we used to-"

Ren covered his ears and pretended not to hear what Makoto just said. Ryuji gave a shit-eating grin and took the opportunity.

"Well, Ren-Ren here one time brought back Suzui's bag instead of his back in high school."

Sumire choked at her food this time. "Why?!"

"Yusuke actually asked him to do so. Suzui was batshit furious when she found out that Ren and Yusuke were rummaging her bag for panties."

Sumire turned beet red, and Makoto shook her head in disappointment.

"Really, Ryuji? You think that's very embarrassing?"

"Okay then, Makoto. You say something."

Makoto accepted the challenge and intentionally stared at Ren, who is still covering his ears.

"Back when we were on the stage of meeting up before sex took over, he heard a woman single beautifully that he would tell me to deliver a message to the person who would sing so angelic. A few weeks later, we realized that it was our old Science teacher, Mr. Hiruta, who managed to arouse Ren with his singing."

Sumire abruptly laughed very hard and loud that the chef waved off any disturbed customers and laughed along what Makoto just said. Sumire turned to see Ren already mighty red and continued laughing. Even Ryuji joined in on the laughter, giving much dismay to Ren. The tables turned when Sumire accidentally snorts in the middle of laughing, making Ren laugh in return.

"S-Senpai! Stop laughing!" She pouted.

"Yeah, right. You laughed at how I was turned on by a guy's singing." Ren pouted in return.

Sumire then smiled again before laughing once more. Ren groaned as Ryuji then shared another moment when Ren spat his ice cream out after Futaba made Yusuke read what cow udders are while Makoto shared a moment where Ren was accidentally hit with a tranquilizer dart and cuddled the lion that escaped the zoo. Sumire can't help but feel entertained and fuzzy.

_I can't believe he-snrk-cuddled the lion while Ann-san recorded him!_

_B-B-But letting Yusuke-senpai read 'breast milk' aloud in an ice cream shop was more embarrassing!_

_Oh, I am so gonna like this boy to death!_

After finishing their dinner and paying it, the group decided to part ways as Sae is looking for Makoto while Ryuji has to head for Asakusa for his night job. While taking the train ride home, Ren noticed Sumire sleeping on his shoulder with a smile on her face. He smiled at the view as he felt relieved.

_Crisis averted._

He snuck a pic of Sumire sleeping and decided to use it as a wallpaper.

_Oh, Kasumi... you never fail to surprise me._

In Sumire's head...

_Oh, I wish this date began under better circumstances._

_I wish I enjoyed it like the last ones. Being Kasumi really hurts._

_But I'll savor this moment. He really cheered me up. And Ryuji-senpai and Makoto-san as well._

Ren arrives in Ann's condo and knocks her door. Ann opens up for them and lets Ren take her to the bedroom. Looking at how unmoved her lips are in her sleep, Ren kept an eye on her for a bit before Ann tapped his shoulder.

"Shouldn't you be heading home?"

"Maybe in a bit. I just wanna see her smile more."

Ann pulled a chair and sat next to him.

"I miss you watching me like that." She admitted.

"I know."

"... She's a sweet girl, huh?"

"Kinda like you."

Ann blushed at that compliment, but shook it off.

"I heard from Ryuji that you met up with Makoto."

"Yeah."

"Wanna know what's funny? That Kasumi-chan here is bringing you back to the girls who love you with all their hearts."

Ren felt a pang of guilt in his heart. He had his reasons with Haru and Makoto, but he felt conflicted with Ann.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I know, Ren." Ann leaned her head on his shoulder. "But you're gonna have to tell her, if you want her to trust you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah. Ren and Makoto as flings after their respective break-ups. Remember I said that Ann was my second waifu? Well, before Sumire took over, I had Ann, Makoto, Shiho, Haru, and Hifumi on my list. But now the Shusumi ship has been sailing... so Hifumi ain't Top 5 waifu anymore, but she's still a great person. (Sorry for the Shufumi fans.)
> 
> As for the hint of Ren and Haru dating in the past, there is only one reason for that.
> 
> With the sudden new friendship, can Sumire help in rekindling an old one? Stay tuned for the next episode, "A Hot Beginning To Fix A Cold Friendship"!


	13. A Hot Beginning to Fix a Cold Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> After meeting with Makoto and reconciling with Ren for his comment about her, Sumire cheers up a bit as summer is around the corner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all!
> 
> So I began drawing what could be a concept art of this story, like how I did in the final chapter of Worlds Under War. (Though now that reminds me, I should make a few more art for it despite my inconsistency.)
> 
> Anyways, I may upload the art near the end of this fic. But as time progresses, I may rearrange the art into their respective chapters.... But that's a tentative plan for now.
> 
> Anyhow, let's go on!

_"In other news, Finnish-Japanese star Ann Takamaki, known for playing Feather Pink/Pink Argus in the Phoenix Ranger Neo Featherman remake, is currently under suspension following a skirmish between her and co-star Mika Uchiha..."_

"What bullshit." Ann huffed as she turned off the TV. Apparently, she lets Ren sleep on her couch as she didn't want to go sexual with him. As she heads for the shower, Sumire wakes up and suddenly freaks out at the sight of Ren in the condominium.

"AHHHH! Ren-senpai!?"

Ren jolted up to the sound to see Sumire standing there with a blush on her face.

"If you're wondering who dressed you up, it was Ann. And like you, I got knocked out after I laid ya to the bed." He clarified, giving Sumire a sign of relief.

"Thank goodness! For a moment there, I thought-" Sumire stopped in her tracks as she attempted to figure out why was Ren still in the condo rather than be forced to go home.

_They did it! I'll be damned if they didn't!_

_Ann-san and Ren-senpai WERE close to each other. If what Makoto-san said is true..._

"Um, I should get going." Ren opted to leave when they both heard Ann say something.

_"You won't stay for breakfast? Better than eating curry all the time!"_

"You know I can't rely on you cooking breakfast."

_"Ugh, Kasumi can cook for us, dumbass!"_

Ren sighed at the realization. "Sorry if you're gonna have to cook for Little Miss Sweet Tooth here."

_"Fuck off! I can eat other foods aside from sweets!"_

Ren laughed at his joke that triggered Ann. Sumire looked down in sadness for a bit.

"Hey, you alright?"

"I-"

Ann exits the bathroom and flicks a coin onto his face. "Idiot!"

"What did I do?"

"You left this near the toilet bowl!"

Ren pockets the coin until he began smelling himself. "Ah, shit. I reek like a wet dog."

Sumire tries to smell herself and says the same thing, receiving a mischievous grin from Ann.

"Well, you know what that means?"

Red and gray orbs glared onto Ann as they figured it out.

"ANN!"

"Ann-san!"

Ann then hummed as she dropped the towel and slammed the door, leaving Ren and Sumire bashfully considering options.

"You go first! No you!" Both spoke in unison.

"I.... uh..... I-I-I...."

"Well, uh, Kasumi..."

_"Just take a bath together! Save me some cash for the water bill, damnit!"_

Sighing in defeat, both had no choice but to have a bath together. Sumire trembled at the idea while Ren was hesitating.

"N-No lo-lo-looking, S-S-S-Senpai!" She warned him as he turned around. Unfortunately, Ren was facing a mirror that showed Sumire stripping and entering the bathroom.

_Damnit, Ann.... is this payback for something?_

He then hears the shower running as Sumire calls him in to join.

_What the hell!? Did it have to be now, of all times!?_

_Senpai and I aren't even an official couple!_

_First, taking a bath together. What's next? S-_

_HELL NO! I'M NOT PREPARED TO LOSE MY VIRGINITY YET!_

"What are you talking about?"

"Eep!"

Ren snapped Sumire out after she was thinking out loud. Sumire then began to stare at Ren's bare body as he approached the shower.

_Daaaaaaaamn. He's so fit._

_I could just kiss those abs all day!_

_He's quite clean, if ya go lower..._

_Kasumi, focus!_

_Sumire, ogle at a different time!_

Meanwhile, Ren couldn't help but look at Sumire's body as well.

_I know she was fit, but not that fit._

_Heh. Perky boobs. Kinda like Makoto's._

_Nicely trimmed though. Wait a minute, why the hell am I thinking this!?_

Both blushed as they started to get wet under the shower and soaped their bodies...

.

.

.

... until Sumire began to heat up.

_He's touching me all over! I spoke too soon about my comment from the other day!_

_No.... why am I feeling sensitive?_

Sumire gasped and suddenly placed some distance between her and Ren.

"Kasumi?" He tilted his head in confusion.

"S-S-S-Senpai, you touching me too m-m-much..." She covered her face to hide the blush, making Ren blush as well.

"Sorry, Kasumi. But how else would I soap you?"

"I can soap my own body!" Sumire blurted, giving more embarrassment between them. "But I'll s-s-s-soap your body in r-r-return..."

Sumire's hands shook as she started soaping Ren all over. Their red faces got redder when Sumire soaps near the groin.

_Senpai touched me all over. Should I touch his?_

_Well, he may not have a monster.... but it's a pretty good one!_

_WAIT! Sumire, no more dirty thoughts!_

"Uh, Kasumi?"

"R-Right!"

The two of them went on to finish the bath with awkward faces, and noticed Ann crossing her arms and smirking.

"How long were you watching us?" Ren yelled at her.

"Pretty much... half an hour." Ann replied as she looked at Sumire. "Don't tell me you got bashful at his size."

"Please excuse me" Sumire ran to her room and screamed from the top of her lungs.

"You broke her, Ann." Ren said in a deadpan tone.

"Hey!"

After Ren dressed up and bade the girls farewell, Sumire's mind went crazy at what just happened in the bathroom. Ann noticed her expression and shook her shoulders to snap her out.

"Hey. You alright?" She asked.

Sumire looked at Ann with a mortified face. "Why did you torture me?"

Ann furrowed her brows. "Hey, if you're going to be dating Ren officially, I had to let you see his thing."

"During a bath? I could've done that in our own time and-" Sumire covered her gasp at the sudden spoiler, making Ann give a smug grin.

"So you did want to do it?"

"NO!"

Ann chuckled at the denial. "If you say so, Kasumi-chan." She then took her notebook out and examined her to-do list. "Step one for today: reconcile with Shiho."

Sumire perked up at Ann's words. "You wanna see Shiho-senpai today?"

As if right on cue, Shiho called Sumire.

_"Yo, Kasumi! We training or what? Coz I've been standing here in Harajuku for an hour and I can't find a new jersey for me to wear casually."_

Sumire hummed. "Yeah. Ann-san and I will meet you there in a bit."

_"Ann's coming? Why?"_

"Yeah, Kasumi-chan. Why?"

Sumire bit her lip. "We'll be giving her some fresh air away from all the pizzazz of her celebrity life."

_"Hahaha. Poor Ann."_

"Yeah, poor A- HEY!"

_"Anyway, if Ann's coming... then I'll prep some cash for her sweets."_

"You're just like Ren earlier!"

Both the blonde and the redhead heard the ravenette sigh and hang up. Ann sighed as well.

"Seems like she hates me whenever I talk about Ren."

Sumire then told her about what Shiho said about her during the time she was being saved from prostitution. Ann gave a downcast look and forced her tears to not flow.

"I know I said all those things, but to think it hurt her very personally..."

"Ann-san, is sex something important for you?" Sumire asked with curiosity.

Ann shook her head slowly and replied honestly. "I just want to feel the same love that happens in bed similar to how Ren does it. Ever since we broke up, nearly half of our circle of friends went to his side. But after I heard that Ren dated Haru as an inside job while he fucked Makoto countless times..... I just don't know anymore if anyone can call him a friend."

_Seems like Senpai is a playboy._

_Tch. We'll make sure he stays with the one and only K-_

"Kasumi, why are you attracted to a guy like him?"

Sumire stayed silent. Really silent. Ann took the hint and did not press further as she sighed.

"Okay. Don't tell me, the ex-girlfriend, why you like him and all. But you owe me an explanation."

"A-Alright."

The two then leave the condo and meet up with Shiho.

Meanwhile, after hanging up the call, Shiho sighed in disappointment.

"What the hell was Ren thinking? Sleeping at Ann's after bringing Kasumi back..." She balled her hands into fists as she tried to change her idea and asked anyone else for some time with her. To her dismay, everyone else is busy. An hour later, Ann and Sumire meet up with her in Takenoko Street as Ann attempted to hug Shiho only to stop at the last second. Shiho shrugged it off and asked the two if they wanna watch a movie instead. They agreed and went on to see A Dream on Birch Street, which is something Sumire picked when the two argued over a romcom and a sci-fi film.

After the movie ended, Sumire noticed the distance between Ann and Shiho.

_Should we really help Ann-san? Or Shiho-senpai, for that matter?_

_Those two are best friends! Best friends would never abandon each other._

_Tch. Remember what your own sister did to you, Sumire....._

Shaking off the depressive thought, Sumire charged ahead and yanked both girls' wrists as she dragged them to Inokashira Park. Upon arrival, both Shiho and Ann glared at her.

"What the hell, Kasumi-chan?"

"Yeah! That hurts."

Sumire returned the glare. "You think I hadn't noticed you two? You both kept your distance and gave uneasy looks to each other. I thought you two want to make amends already!"

Both of them looked at each other with shock.

"Shiho?"

"Look, I don't want you having bad ideas about me anymore. Okay?"

"Me having bad ideas about you? I was already assuming the same thing!"

"Well, guess we are best friends for a reason then."

Sumire held her patience for a bit as she observed the two of them talk.

"Don't give me that bullshit, Shiho! Not my fault you started talking behind my back!"

"Ah, give it a fucking rest, Ann! Your fault for trying to ruin yourself more because you have no one to cuddle with anymore!"

"See, this is what I meant!"

"Trying to hide your pain again?"

"Fuck off!"

"No, you fuck off!"

Sumire's eye twitched as the argument heightened.

"So you admit to that bullshit Mika just told you?"

"Wha- How the hell did YOU get that info?"

"You think that dipshit Morgan hasn't been bugging me ever since you got suspended?"

"Well, you should've known to ignore that shit!"

"Well, I can't!"

"And why not?!"

"Coz you're too fucking reckless and lonely that I have to stick my neck out for you when no one else wanted!"

Sumire had enough and yelled with enough anger to silence the two.

"WILL YOU GIVE EACH OTHER SOME GODDAMN TIME TO REASON WITHOUT BACKLASHING!?"

_Damn, that was the angriest I've ever shown._

_I'm probably worse than Kasumi in terms of anger._

_But knowing myself, I'd-_

Tears streamed down Sumire's eyes suddenly. "Can't you two just hear each other out and give comments that do not personally hurt? You two are the closest of friends, and for me it already looks like you're sisters..." She then wiped the tears off and looked at Shiho first.

"Shiho-senpai, you told me before that Ann-san emotionally hurt you when she used your prostitution job as blackmail to leave her alone." She then turned to Ann. "Ann-senpai, you said that you didn't mean to hurt her like that because of how depressed you got after Ren-senpai broke up with you and kept having affairs."

Shiho then looked into Ann's eyes. "Affairs? What the hell did she mean by that, Ann?"

"That's not all."

"What the f-"

"Ann-san doesn't have anyone to find comfort in since even her own parents have disowned her for choosing her career as an actress and model rather than continue schooling. Based on what I've observed, Ann-san is eerily overpowered by her libido as means of escapism from her loneliness."

Ann pouted at Sumire's deduction. "I'm not THAT lonely."

Sumire gave her a look that made Ann realize her mistake. "Oh. Right."

Shiho facepalmed at the realization. "You still buy sex toys, even when Kasumi lives with you?"

Ann bit her lip as she realized that there is nowhere to run. "... Maybe I really am just lonely."

Sumire and Shiho looked at Ann. The blonde then tightened her grip on her jacket.

"Back when you met me, Shiho... I was honestly hoping you'd bully me like the others. Like how Ryuji did. But you didn't; you helped me improve myself when no one else c- wouldn't."

Shiho noticed the pause.

"But ever since I met Ren back when transferred... how he saved everyone in Shujin from Kamoshida..."

_So that's the coach's name...._

"... I just wish I did better to keep you from getting raped and committing suicide." Ann began to sob. "The reason why I hung out with Ren a lot is because I wanted him to teach me how to be strong enough to keep you safe from harm. But the more I got along with him, the more I fell. You even teased me about it when he asked me to go to prom with him."

Shiho continued to stay quiet as she listened to Ann.

"To be honest, we were already a couple during the cultural festival. I bet Ryuji told you that he just did it save my ass when I got asked a very personal question."

Shiho gave a very slight smile, the memory of Ann back in high school coming to her mind again.

"And as you might expect it, we kinda did it for the first time around Christmas."

Sumire's eyes widened at the description. "What!?" Shiho then took the little time to tease Sumire.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot this is an adults-only talk. Ya gotta wait until you're 21 to listen to this type of conversation."

"Shiho-senpai!" Sumire was turning red in embarrassment, making Shiho and Ann giggled.

"Well, it was one of the best times of my life when I was his to own and love. But... during our freshmen year in college, he was getting grilled on again while I focused in my acting. I think I neglected him a lot due to that, and then our relationship just spiraled out."

"Ann..."

"I'm not saying that he's my only life. You're my life as well, but when I found out about your little side job... I was really mad. So mad that I was hoping you wouldn't do the very thing that scarred you for life."

Shiho looked down in shame. Then she spoke.

"I should be sorry as well. For everything."

Ann now is the one listening.

"To tell you the truth, it wasn't because of the trauma I suffered that I resorted to it..."

Shiho's next words shocked both Ann and Sumire.

"... I kinda slept with him twice."

"You don't mean-"

"Ren-senpai." Sumire took a wild guess as her mind raced again.

_As expected. I mean, Ann-san has the body and the bust...._

_.... And Shiho-senpai also has the body and smooth skin...._

.... _What do I have? Small boobs and nice thighs. Not something that would attract him sexually._

_Wait a minute. Why am I thinking of these? Was it because of earlier?_

_Stay out of those perverted thoughts, Sumire! You're better than this!_

"Yep."

Ann covered her face with her hands, then pulled her hair in frustration.

"That bastard! I can't believe it!"

"It's mostly my fault, Ann. Don't blame him."

"But he just used you to alleviate his sexual frustration! God!" Ann was never this upset about Ren until now.

"It just happened and I allowed it. I didn't mean to cause more tension in our friendship than it already had." Shiho confessed while holding in tears. "You were right about him on one thing. He helps people out to make sure they get to develop and heal themselves."

Ann just looked at Shiho with despair. "Why didn't you-"

"If I told you I slept with him, you'd hate me forever and abandon me for good. I was honestly shocked when you announced your break-up with him. I tr-tried to call you so I can help you, but you were too busy getting laid with different guys that you forgot that you have me on your side when Ryuji, Yusuke, and even Futaba went on his!"

Sumire backed up a bit to give some space.

"Shiho, I-"

"Don't. Please don't say that you're at fault... the last thing I want to hear right now is that everything is your fault."

Shiho now began to cry. "I just wish you would stop feeling lonely whenever I'm with you, Ann! It's like I lost my value as a friend, and I lost it more when you hurt me on that argument...."

Ann hugged Shiho and cried. "I'm sorry, Shiho. I-I just thought you were on his side because he's been helping you lately in college. Had I known sooner...."

"P-P-Promise you won't leave me?"

"I'd ask the same, Sh-Shiho..."

Sumire was then unsure whether to feel the guilt both had harbored or smile at the closure and resolve they have made.

Nightfall has arrived, and the three made it back to the condo. Shiho helped Ann in trying to sell some of the sex toys (without exposing their identities) while Sumire made them dinner.

"How would you like your tuna belly coated with?" Sumire asked as she pulled out honey, oyster sauce, and white sauce.

"Oyster sauce!" Shiho exclaimed.

"Honey!" Ann said. Sumire then took the chance to try her joking side.

"Yes, dear?"

"What the-" Ann suddenly blushed at the words. "Darn it, Kasumi-chan! Quit making me flustered!"

Sumire stuck her tongue out. "That's for earlier!"

"What happened earlier?" Shiho inquired. Sumire froze as she realized her mistake.

"Shit."

"Well," Ann gave Sumire a teasing smug grin. "Kasumi-chan and Ren kinda showered together after they both smelled like wet dog."

Shiho was somewhat unfazed by this, annoying Ann in the process.

"Why aren't you unfazed by this?"

"Coz I kinda bathed with her one time."

Now both Ann and Sumire blushed intensely.

_Shiho-senpai! I trusted you...._

_Shiho giving Kasumi-chan a bath? That is oddly sexy._

Shiho saw their faces and sighed.

"You two and the dirty minds you possess. Gimme a break, will ya?"

As the three ate dinner, Ann carefully ate her fish as she was on a strict diet. Shiho, on the ther hand, chowed and mowed down her fish.

"I don't know how you did it, but I wanna say thanks, Kasumi-chan." Ann said as she gave a smile to Sumire.

"I didn't do anything, though." Sumire admitted while her mind said otherwise.

_You yelled at them and triggered a conversation that concerns them. You did something, alright._

"You kinda did, Kasumi." Shiho burped. "Had you not raised your voice and blurted out what we respectively told you on our own consultations and stuff, we wouldn't be having this dinner now."

"I have to agree with Shiho. You lifted a lot of her burdens while you lifted a big one on mine."

"I still have my injury and the mentality of not playing anymore."

"And that new gambling addiction of yours."

"Better than selling my body to the entire city's load of dicks."

Sumire then refilled their cups with juice as she gave her input.

"Based on what we've been doing, Shiho-senpai, we're doing great. And your leg movement is improving already."

Shiho flashed a smile at the compliment. "Thanks, Kasumi-chan."

"Now for her gambling addiction, however, she seems to be winning a lot."

Shiho stuck her tongue out playfully while Ann pouted in response.

"Just don't come running to me if ya lost 5 million yen."

Shiho then received a text message from her landlady in Suidobashi regarding the rent of her room.

"Ah, shit. I gotta go. The old crone's grilling me about my rent."

Ann then stood up with her. "You can just move in with me here."

Shiho gave a quizzical look. "But there are only two bedrooms."

Sumire looked at the two and smiled. "You can share Ann-san's bedroom though!"

"Only if she doesn't shove a vibrator on my slit while I sleep." Shiho began her friendly teases with Ann.

"Hey! I stick my own stuff to myself."

"Then I'll be wearing headphones to avoid that oozing sound."

"SHIHO!"

Shiho laughed as Ann can't help but revert back to her calm smile and hugged her.

"Welcome back, Shiho."

Shiho returned the hug. "Welcome back, Ann."

_They really do look like sisters. If only Kasumi would treat me like that..._

_._

_._

_._

_... as if she'd care about me when I'm sacrificing myself for her sake._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So basically, Ren and Ann broke up due to their conflicted time and the rumors spiralling around them individually (Ren in college, Ann in her career). Since Shiho had no one else but Ren to seek comfort during her times of need, they accidentally had 2 one-night stands. As to how it affected her time in prostituition, she began to hesitate on that more.
> 
> Ren indeed has problems when it comes to women.
> 
> With summer beginning, who else would Sumire help out in the middle of her break? Find out in the first of a three-part segment, "Great Days"!


	14. Great Days (Pt. 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Sumire forces Ann and Shiho to make up and reveal the reasons why their friendship was strained.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter here!
> 
> I know what y'all are thinking: "Ren dated Ann, Makoto, Haru, and Shiho. Who else did he date?" Well.... let's leave it to mystery as Ren is more of the late-game unlockable confidant for Sumire. (Kinda like how in Persona 3, Mitsuru was introduced early but you need a certain level of Knowledge/Intelligence to talk to her, which ends up being halfway or 3/4 to the story)
> 
> Anyway, on to the story!

Summer finally begins, and Sumire became wary of the news as the Summer Gymnastics Tournament has been announced. The headline was primarily about Kasumi still in a coma, and Sumire can only hope that none of the people she met are watching the news at this time.

_Damnit, why now of all days?_

_Ugh, now they're gonna find out for sure._

_We can always find more excuses to give out...._

Ann yawns as she woke up and exited her room. "Morning, Kasumi-chan!" She stretched her arms until she felt a slight crack on her back. "Ow...."

"Ann-san?" Sumire turned the TV off and turned around. "Are you alright?"

"It's nothing." She rubbed her back, which isn't avoidable to Sumire's eyes. "Okay, I lied. My back hurts like hell."

"Want me to give you a massage?" Sumire offered in which Ann accepted. The blonde would regret her acceptance seconds later after noticing how strong Sumire is.

_What the fuck? This girl is so strong! It feels like she'll break my ribs while fixing my back...._

As the redhead finished, Ann felt relieved and relaxed.

"Wow! That felt good!"

Sumire turned pink a bit and thanked Ann, who then began brewing some coffee.

"You know... I'm still curious as to why Shiho slept with Ren twice." She spoke out. "I know that Shiho wouldn't dare to let him cheat on me, but if it was on his own accord...."

Sumire then remembered what Makoto told her not tool long ago.

"Has he been having trouble with girls when he transferred here?" Sumire inquired. Ann shook her head in response as she looked at the brewing machine.

"Not at all. Though he is a bit reserved, Ren really has no problem with girls. But the thing is... I think he has a problem at keeping a relationship with girls. Or I dunno."

Sumire remains conflicted on whether to talk to Ren about his women problems or not. Considering that she is already next in line, the chances of her getting dumped after a while are 50-50.

Ann then receives a text from Yusuke, who inquired the blonde about being his muse in his latest artwork.

"Ugh, he better not ask me to pose nude again." She huffed with an upset look as she replied.

Sumire then wrote down in her note a reminder that Ren has commitment issues, something she hoped won't happen to her.

Sumire and Ann went shopping in the nearby mall when they met up with Shiho again for some down time for the rest of the day. The trio decide to have dinner in a teriyaki shop in Asakusa.

"Damnit, did it had to be this crowded?" Ann complained as they noticed how packed the shop is.

"Well, it's summer after all." Sumire gave an uncertain answer.

"Welp, time for my skills that paid the bills to shine." Shiho cracked her knuckles and bulldozed her way to the counter. In the end, they were stuck to ordering takeout.

"Where are gonna sit and eat our food?" Ann asked the two as she made sure no one would recognize her.

Sumire, on the other hand, was beginning to garner some attention.

_Hey, isn't that Kasumi Yoshizawa?_

_I thought she was hospitalized?_

_Man, she knows how to manipulate the public if she is trying to spend some time alone._

_She's with some friends, I guess. Maybe she's only having a vacay here in Tokyo?_

"Just when I can relax for once...." The redhead murmured under her breath.

Shiho then noticed a blue-haired man at the corner of her eye. "Yusuke?"

Ann and Sumire turn around to see Yusuke having a problem with a middle-aged man yelling at him.

"My apologies, I-"

"No fucking way, you're not getting out of this! You better pay up for what you did to my wife's dress or else?"

Yusuke was being cornered by the man after he accidentally spilled his new paint at her expensive dress.

"But please hear me out! I-"

Yusuke was not given a chance to speak when he gets punched in the jaw. His mouth began to bled as he crawled away from the man. Before he could land another punch, Sumire caught his wrist with full force.

"I believe that's enough, sir."

"What the f-"

His wife felt irritated at the intervention of the three girls. "Just who the hell do you think you are?"

"Lady, don't try to give us that high and mighty bullshit." Shiho glared at her as Ann helped Yusuke.

The man tugged his wrist and managed to jab Sumire in the face before Shiho returned the favor. Receiving a nosebleed, he threatened to report them to the police before a young man called him out.

"Hey, motherfucker! The cameras caught ya beating the shit out of him, so don't even try to spread a false report!"

The man and his wife left, ruing the trio as the young man went to help them.

"Thank you for helping us ton- Ryuji-senpai?"

"Ryuji?"

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Ryuji was sporting a black coat while wearing tattered jeans and boots. "I'm the, uh, bouncer of the club nearby."

Sumire just had to blurt out the name of the club. "You mean Paradise Suspicious?"

"WHAT!?"

"Hey, Kasumi!"

"You work as a bouncer in a gay club?"

Ryuji hung his head in shame as Ann and Shiho lets out laughter. Yusuke then tilted his head in confusion.

"Forgive me for asking despite my current state, but what is wrong with Ryuji working in a gay club?"

"It's not that, Yusuke. It's just this is something unexpected and... snrk! Hahahahaha! Oh, Ryuji...." Ann can't help herself.

"Wait until Niijima-san hears about this." Shiho added fuel to their fire, which was then doused out by Sumire.

"He actually told her during our sushi date. She honestly has no issues about it unless Ryuji-senpai is the one picking fights."

Ryuji looked at her with annoyance. "She kinda grills me for it sometimes."

"At any case," Yusuke interjected, "I shall thank you enough for saving me."

"It was something we can't avoid, Yusuke-senpai." Sumire gave a soft smile to cheer him up.

"Anyway, what the hell were ya doin' with so much art supplies at a time like this?" Ryuji reprimanded Yusuke.

"I was supposed to be on my way to the Sky Tower and paint the marvelous view of the city, but then that wretched behemoth of a man bumped into me and caused the paint to fly to his lover's dress."

Ryuji then decided to treat Yusuke to a drink in the bar, letting Ann loom over the two as they were about to enter.

"The hell are you thinking, Ann?"

"N-Nothing!"

"I assure you, Ann, I have no interest in the same sex."

"Yusuke, you really need to learn how to word things properly." Ryuji grunted as he helped him get in, leaving the girls alone again.

Two days later, Sumire was out alone buying ingredients in Yongen-Jaya. Sojiro decided to teach her how to make her version of LeBlanc's special curry. As she entered LeBlanc, a man wearing a cap was exiting the cafe. She noticed Futaba's scared expression and Ren's angry face as she looked back at the man.

"Did something happen, Senpai?" She asked with concern.

"Futaba's uncle just had to come here when Sojiro left. That bastard...." Ren growled.

"Futaba-san? Was that your-"

Futaba cried as she ran towards the attic. Ren slammed his fist onto the counter.

"Senpai, what happened!?"

"He attempted to grab Futaba away, so I had to save her. Now, I got one motherfucking bastard to deal with."

Sumire gave him a hug to calm him down. Sojiro then entered the cafe with a worried look that faded after he saw the two.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"Ah! Sakura-san!"

"I just saw Wakaba's brother exit the cafe! What happened!?" Sojiro was more than angry.

"He tried to take Futaba away from here. I pulled her back while she kicked him in the leg. Bastard then intends to report us to the police for assault."

Sojiro then slammed his fist as well on the counter. "Damnit!"

Sumire can tell that the Sakuras are having issues towards the uncle. She then opted to cheer them up with her version of the curry. After impressing Sojiro and Ren and cheering Futaba up, Sumire volunteered to remain in managing the shop while Ren takes Futaba somewhere. Sojiro then left to call some lawyers to assist him.

"Poor Futaba-san." Sumire muttered. "I have to find a solution for this."

The next day, she called Maruki for some help regarding what she discovered yesterday.

"So you called me here to help you with something, Yoshizawa-san?" He sipped on his juice drink.

"I have friends who have been experiencing problems lately in a span of days. I just want your advice on each and everyone of these problems." Sumire went straight to the point.

"Okay then." Maruki crossed his arms with a gleeful grin. "Shoot."

Sumire then began stating the problems.

"The first friend of mine has issues with the people close to her. I got her back with her best friend, who happened to sleep with her ex. Despite being relieved about restoring the friendship, she is now curious as to why they slept together."

Maruki furrowed his brows. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. And just when I thought that best friend was problem-free...."

He shifted his body closer to the table. "I'm piqued with interest. Tell me the others."

"The second friend happens to be scrutinized due to how.... eccentric he can be towards the public. I'm worried that he might break down one day."

"I see. People do tend to bully the ones who are unique in their own way. Please continue."

"The third friend has an issue in her family after one of her blood relatives tried to force her out of her own way, and her comrade happened to be placed under pressure for something he didn't do."

Maruki sighed in disbelief. "Your friends have it rough, Yoshizawa-san. Though here's what I can do for your friends in the meantime."

Sumire pulled out her notebook and wrote down what he said.

"For the first friend, I suggest that she should deal with the reconciliation first before figuring out the mystery of her best friend's affair. That bridge will be crossed when she gets there, but for now she should focus on the important matter at hand."

Sumire wrote: _Let Ann-san deal with her friends and family(?) first_

"For the second friend, he should be guided often so that he won't feel alone in this world. He can be called a weirdo for all society cares, but he should need a friend with him who can accept him as an eccentric."

Sumire wrote: _Let Yusuke-senpai find better inspiration with either Ren-senpai or me. (Or maybe both.)_

"And for your third friend, every person has a weakness. If you show that weakness more than what you do with it, it will eat you up in the end. Kinda like how it happened to me when Rumi just left me. But since this is a familial issue, I don't have much to say but find something that can force the opposing party to give up whatever selfish reason he has towards his own niece and her friend."

Sumire wrote: _Have Futaba-senpai tell me about her uncle_

"I hope that was enough for you, Yoshizawa-san." Maruki gave her a smile. "I wonder why you didn't take up psychology like Ren."

Sumire looked at him and gave him an honest answer.

"To be honest, people are supposed to learn how to fend for themselves as they age. But I decided to see what happens if I help them out instead of letting them do it on their own."

Maruki decided not to press further. "How about we finish our little snack here?"

"Of course!"

A few days later, Sumire confronted Yusuke in his apartment. As much as she is very grateful for Yusuke being hospitable, his home is..... welcoming.

_Ugh, when was the last time he cleaned this place?_

_So messy... Jeez, Louise!_

_Can a person even survive this kind of home?_

_Do I see banana peels and a tank of lobsters?_

"My apologies for my humble abode's current state. I was in the middle of painting my pet lobsters Romeo and Juliet while they feast on the bananas I gave them." Yusuke happened to explain more about why his home is messy.

Sumire gave an awkward laugh and smile. "It's okay, Yusuke-senpai. But I think I have quite an idea on what your muse can be this time."

Yusuke then looked at her with glee. "Please tell me!"

Sumire jumped and fell off her chair, making Yusuke apologize and help her up again.

"I should help you, though. So please keep an eye on your messenger app."

"Why?"

"Your muse... will be about human love."

"What?" Yusuke stared at her blankly. Sumire shook her head and just reminded him about staying active in the app.

Heading for LeBlanc next, she finds Futaba hiding in the far end of the booths. She carefully approached her.

"Um, Futaba-san?"

"Oh! Kasumi! What's up?"

"Um...." Sumire began to scramble her mind again.

_How the hell am I gonna say this to her?_

_One mistake, and she won't be friends with me anymore._

_This is thin ice you're treading on, Kasumi...._

"Can you talk to me about your uncle?"

"... Figured you'd ask me that after what happened." Futaba sighed sadly and pats the space next to her. "Come on."

Sumire sat next to her and listened to Futaba.

"My uncle isn't exactly a good person. He would often argue with Sojiro and my mom, disrupt business here in LeBlanc, and even try to pick fights with either the customers or Dad himself. But one day... he... he..."

Sumire gulped nervously as she anticipated something bad.

"He poisoned my mom after he lost all his money." Futaba began to cry. "He then tried to frame Dad for it. Although he was found innocent, he felt resentful since nobody sided with him except me. And then on the time when you returned from the errand, he tried to take me away from Dad and Ren so he can get money again..... then he reported us to the police for assault and...."

Sumire felt devastated as the memory of her own uncle's words echoing in her head.

"I'm so sorry...." Futaba tried to apologize after seeing Sumire's mortified face.

Snapping out of her thoughts after hearing the orange-haired girl, Sumire shook her head.

"I should be more sorry, Futaba-san."

"Nah. I'm the one who's sorry."

Sumire hugged her to comfort her. "How about we both say it's our faults?"

Futaba chuckled as she wiped the tears off. "Fair enough."

Sumire released the embrace and asked her with seriousness in her eyes. "Does your uncle have a bad habit or something? Something we can use to turn the tables against him."

"Well, Uncle Youji does have a gambling addiction. It was also the reason how he lost his money and killed Mom in his rage."

Sumire felt a light bulb turn on in her head.

"Gambling addiction, huh?"

"You have got to be fucking kidding me!"

Shiho protested at gambling against Youji Ishiki after hearing Sumire talk about Futaba's troubles.

"Shiho-senpai-"

"No damn way! I am not gonna sign up to gamble against some scumbag who would murder people when he gets salty as fuck!" Shiho is clearly panicking.

"Shiho-senpai-"

"Knowing that Futaba is raised alone by Sojiro Sakura is one thing, learning that her mother was murdered by her own brother is another story."

Sumire then gave her the puppy eyes and pout.

"Pleeeeeeeeeease?"

_I can't believe I, Kasumi Yoshizawa, am doing this!_

Shiho tried to avoid the gaze, but submitted afterwards.

"Fine."

"Yay!"

"What if he tries to kill us, though?"

"Don't worry! I have it under control."

As Sumire excused herself to the restrooms, Shiho buried her face in her hands.

"Son of a bitch, I am beginning to regret my gambling life."

Youji Ishiki was, in fact, a gambling addict. However, not too long ago, he murdered his sister under the suspicion of sending someone to beat him in his own game as punishment. For Shiho, this is gonna be her biggest gamble.

"Kasumi, I'm getting pretty nervous."

"Me too."

_So much for under control._

"We're crossing hot water on this one. If I remember correctly, this used to be Junya Kaneshiro's gambling hub."

Sumire's interest piqued suddenly. "Who's Junya Kaneshiro?"

"Baddest motherfucker in town. He ran a mafia for years until Ren found him being linked to U.E.S. And with that.... began a series of events that went to Ren's favor."

Sumire examined the whole place again. "So who owns this now?"

"Practically no one. But hotshots are still using the gambling grounds for leisure."

The girls then arrive at the hall where Futaba's uncle was stationed.

"Oh? We got girls now?"

"Youji Ishiki, yes?"

"Who the hell are you and how do you know my name?"

Sumire took the gamble. "Sojiro Sakura sent us on his behalf with a message. Leave them alone and atone for the blood in your hands or face the consequences."

Youji laughed hard. "You think a slut like you can take on me in the gambling world? I'm the king here."

Shiho stepped forward. "And allow me to challenge you, King Shit. There is a game I want us to play, both against our fields."

Youji sat down and crossed his arms. "I'm listening."

Sumire then answered. "If you prove to us that you're a better cook than Sakura-san, then we'll concede."

"Pfft. A cook-off?" He scoffed, but then considered it. "Fine then. If it means letting Sojiro kiss my ass as soon as I regain custody over Futaba..."

"You've gotta be kidding me." Sojiro sighed in exasperation as he glared at Sumire.

"Kasumi, this is a bad idea...." Futaba protested as they set up the cafe for a cook-off.

"And to make it worse, it's not me or Sojiro who's doing the cooking. And not to be harsh, but Shiho sucks at cooking." Ren reasoned out, with the last one being uncalled for.

"We kinda did another gamble while we were at it."

The Sakuras and Ren sighed more as Youji entered.

"Ready to lose, Sojiro?"

"Oh, I'm the judge. Not the chef."

"Huh? Then-"

Shiho stepped forward and glared. "I am."

"What?!" Both Ren and Futaba shouted in unison.

Sojiro leaned over to Sumire.

"You sure this will work?"

"Ha! The same dumb bitch from yesterday? Fine then."

Sumire then asked Futaba to leave her phone on as she dialed Makoto's number (that was stored in Futaba's phone).

_"Makoto Niijima."_

"Listen to this."

"To think you'll only play judge, huh? Sojiro, you stupid old geezer."

"Zip it, Youji. Just because I'm allowing you here in LeBlanc doesn't mean you'll be grabbing it from me."

"So you value your shop than your own daughter, huh?"

"One more word about Futaba or-"

"Or what?" Youji was this close to making Sojiro lose his temper.

"You'll be suffering the consequences."

The asshole uncle gave an evil grin. "We'll see about that." He took his turn in cooking something. When Sojiro turned to Futaba, Youji pulled out something that caught Sumire's eye. Ren noticed her.

"Psst. The hell were you thinking?"

"Be quiet, Senpai. I'm observing."

As the sauce began to boil, he placed the secret formula as Sumire zoomed her camera and took the photo of the vial. She sends it to Futaba, who then sends it to Makoto.

"Hey!"

"The hell do you want, Futaba?"

"You're trying to poison Sojiro, aren't you!?"

"The hell you talking about?" Youji hid the vial back to his pocket.

"What are you talking about, Futaba?" Sojiro then looked at his daughter.

"Uncle Youji just placed the same poison that killed Mom!"

"WHAT!?" Sojiro growled as Ren scowled.

"You've gotta be stupid if you're trying to poison Sojiro here. We are all witnesses."

Youji just laughed. "That's what you think, Amamiya. Had you not meddled with Shido, I would still have my business running."

"I don't see how child trafficking is a business, you sick bastard!" Futaba stomped her foot. As her uncle marched towards her, Sojiro stood between them.

"I dare you!"

"Step aside, old timer."

Sumire took the chance to borrow Ren's phone and record the standoff.

"What are y-"

"Trust me."

_"Step away from my niece, asshole."_

_"You don't deserve to be her uncle after how Wakaba described you treating her."_

_"You ungrateful brat! After all the stuff I bought for you-"_

_"After you abused me when Mom isn't around! You even steal cash from her bank accounts just to keep your shit afloat!"_

_"Not my fault Masayoshi Shido had to be arrested by some frizzy-haired cunt!"_

_"Hey, asshole! Shido murdered numerous people. You killed your own sister because he ordered you to!"_

_"Shut up, you brat! You have no fucking evidence on that after all these years!"_

_"That fucking vial in your pocket is evidence enough for killing your sister."_

_"She had it coming! Had she not snitched on Shido and his group, she would still be alive today and listening to my demand for money."_

_"Bullshit, Youji! You and your goddamn gambling addiction!"_

_"Like I said, you rats! You have no evidence on me."_

_"But we do now...."_

Makoto and Sae, alongside a man with brown hair, barge into LeBlanc.

"Youji Ishiki, you're under arrest from performing Wakaba Ishiki's murder, child trafficking, child abuse, extortion, illegal gambling, attempted murder, fraud, and theft." The man said.

"You bastard! You were in on this the whole time? After what your father d-"

"That sick man is nothing more than a shit-eating slug waiting to be stepped on by the devil."

Makoto then cuffs Youji as Sae talked to the Sakuras.

"I'm so sorry for doubting you, Sakura-san." She said with a sad smile.

"It's fine, Niijima-san." Sojiro replied. "But how-"

Sojiro then noticed Futaba without her phone. And she ALWAYS has her phone with her. Youji noticed it as well.

"You bitch! You set me up!" He glared at Sumire and Shiho. "You two! I'll never forget your faces if it's the last thing I'll do!"

Makoto shoves him off the store as a crowd gathered.

"I believe that there will only be a short trial against Youji Ishiki after the recording we received from this number to go along with the video that Makoto received as well. In short, you've been saved."

Sojiro thanked Sae as Futaba grabbed her phone and hugged Sojiro.

"W-W-We did it, Sojiro..." Futaba wept.

"It's alright, dear. You're finally safe now..." Sojiro himself sheds a tear.

Meanwhile, Shiho just stared flabbergasted.

"The hell was my use anyway?"

Sumire looked at her. "Sorry, Shiho-senpai, but you were the gambling piece itself."

"What!?"

Ren himself was amazed. "First, you set up Maruki and Rumi to reconcile. Now you set up Sojiro and Futaba with Youji Ishiki for him to blurt out his shit in a small place like this."

"Sorry, Senpai." Sumire looked down as she glanced at the Sakuras. "I'm sorry if I used LeBlanc as a gamble as well."

"Don't worry, Kasumi-chan." Sojiro reassured her. "I just hope that some of Futaba's bugs caught wind of what her uncle said."

His voice then went stern. "But what were you thinking? Sticking your nose into other people's business and all?"

"I'm sorry. But when I saw how angry Ren-senpai was and how scared Futaba-san was, I couldn't let it be left unaddressed."

Futaba punched Sojiro in the shoulder. "Sojiro! Don't scold her for helping us! Without Kasumi-chan having this as an idea, I wouldn't have relayed the stuff I fished out from uncle Youji's computer and made him confirm it just now!"

"You were in on this, Futaba?!"

"Well, yeah. But I was still shocked when Shiho was gonna compete against him."

Sojiro hugged Futaba again and cried. "What matters now is that it's finally over."

Shiho smacked Sumire's head. "You should've given me a heads-up."

"Sorry. Had no time." was all Sumire can say as she saw Sojiro and Futaba hugging again with smiles of relief. She took the chance and photographed them and sent the photo to Yusuke.

In Yusuke's apartment...

"Hmm?" Yusuke noticed the notification and opened it to see a photo of Sojiro and Futaba hugging. Yusuke then sheds a tear.

"That Kasumi is quite a character."

A text from Shiho was then received.

_"Yo, Yusuke. Kasumi told me that the concept of family should be your basis for a muse."_

"Indeed." Yusuke began picking up his canvass and started to paint. "This one will be dedicated to you, Mom."

After receiving extra work time for her gamble, Sumire groaned after finishing the last dish.

"Finally."

Ren gave her a smile. "Was it too rough, Kasumi?"

"I didn't know that Sakura-san was this strict in his overtime punishments."

Futaba talked with her mouth full. "Well, Dad can be like that sometimes. He may be some juggernaut with high rage power, but he's a big softie."

"Seriously though, I can't thank you enough for this, Kasumi." Ren added. "But why'd you do the findings now instead of before?"

"Uh, coz Shido had an influence all over Japan. Ren, you're the god slayer here and you forgot about it?"

Ren gave a nervous chuckle. "Whoops."

"Who's this Shido guy?" Sumire then asked for details. "I've been noticing his name lately."

Ren kept quiet until he gave out a stern instruction. "You can go home now, Kasumi. I'll take it over from here."

Caught off-guard, Sumire asked. "Huh? But shouldn't you be going home as well? Futaba-san can handle this one."

"Nope." The short girl interjected. "Ren lives here."

"WHAT!?"

_What?! Are you for real, Senpai!?_

_Living in a cafe? The hell is this?_

_Ugh, Ren Amamiya. Dream boy who lives in a cafe. Questionable decision here._

Ren sighed. "Maybe we should talk some more then, Kasumi. You go home first, Futaba."

"No, it's okay. Today has been exhausting, so we'll save that talk for another time." Sumire politely rejected Ren's offer.

"Suit yourself. Stay safe, okay?"

Futaba then goes ahead, only for her scream of anger to echo in the empty street.

"INAAAAAARIIIIIII!"

Ren leaned forward to Sumire. She answered before he could ask.

"I think he's thanking her for being his muse."

"This is interesting." Ren commented.

Meanwhile, in the police station, the brown-haired man and Makoto were finished in filing the report of Youji Ishiki for his affiliation with Masayoshi Shido.

"Akechi..." Makoto cautiously asked.

"Not a word from you regarding Shido." The man named Akechi hissed. "That sonuvabitch is still using people even when he is behind bars."

Makoto sighed as she looked at the files. "I'm still surprised Futaba had gotten a hold of his documents and files from his computer and ledgers."

"Well, she is the lone hacker who broadcasted Shido's treachy towards the nation. I do not understand why Sanada pardoned me despite my involvement in the assassination of news journalists and political rivals."

"Chief Sanada knows deep down you're a good man, Akechi." She gives a kiss. "And you'll always will be."

Akechi avoided her eyes. "If Sakamoto finds out about this..."

Makoto then looked at him with a sad frown. "I know."

She then picked up her bag and began walking. "Oh, by the way, the persons who were witnesses were Ren Amamiya, Shiho Suzui, Sojiro Sakura, Futaba Sakura, and Kasumi Yoshizawa. See ya!"

Akechi groaned as he was too tired to write the names in the report. However, the last person's name caught his attention.

"Kasumi Yoshizawa, eh?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know! Long (and somewhat intense) chapter! Sorry for that.
> 
> Futaba and Sojiro will always have the issue against Wakaba's brother. But I decided to add the twist of it by making him his sister's murderer instead of Akechi. And speaking of Akechi, he's finally introduced. But.....
> 
> As for Yusuke shedding a tear at the sight of Sojiro and Futaba hugging, it is reminiscent of the Sayuri. (Which will be explained more in the next chapter since Yusuke's slump is continuous)
> 
> And if you noticed, the three-part arc will be an irony based on how contradictory the title is with the chapter's content.
> 
> With Futaba's problem officially solved, who else is Sumire going to help out and spend time with? Find out in "Great Days, Pt. 2"!


	15. Great Days (Pt. 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Sumire helps Futaba out in her issue against her uncle and Yusuke in looking for an inspiration.
> 
> She gambles her idea to expose Futaba's uncle, putting her into recognition from Makoto's partner, Goro Akechi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo! What's bonkin'?
> 
> I bet you're wondering: "Why are some of these chapters involving Sumire doing risky ideas and plans?" Right?
> 
> Let's just say the latter half of this story will be impacted by these chapters. Trust me.
> 
> And speaking of chapters, a few of you pointed out the typo error in Shiho's text to Yusuke. I managed to change it, but I still get the comments. Whether it is a reflection error or not, I still changed the name in that particular scene.
> 
> With that being said, back to the story!

A day passed since Youji Ishiki was arrested with the help of Sumire's wit, and just when Sumire thought she would be spending the rest of the summer practicing her moves with Shiho in their exercise....

"I have found you!"

"Yusuke-senpai?"

"Oh, Yusuke."

Yusuke finds Sumire and Shiho practicing in Inokashira Park as he lugged around three empty canvasses.

"I need your help once again, Kasumi." He politely asked the redhead as she did a scorpion pose.

"I thought I gave you a muse already." She furrowed her brows.

"Yes, you have. However, I cannot just stop with the love of Sojiro-san and Futaba. I need to learn more about the facets of human love."

"Was it not enough?"

"No, unfortunately. It is reminiscent of my mother's painting, however."

"Aw, that's sw-"

"Until it was stolen not too long ago."

"Oh." Sumire felt sad after Yusuke told her vaguely about an old painting.

Shiho lowered her arms after she stretched. "Well, then. Why don't we find ya some people who can help?"

"Are you two not the people who can help me?"

Shiho facepalmed while Sumire gave an explanation.

"What Shiho-senpai meant was we need more people who can help you in your art slump. Now which kind of human love do you wish to seek out?"

Yusuke tapped his chin for a bit as he then struck an idea.

"I heard that art is brilliant when romance is the theme."

_No... You can't be serious..._

_ME and REN-SENPAI as muses!_

_Sumire, no!_

_Kasumi, yes!_

"Then I can ask Ren-senpai to help you out!"

Shiho caught her words and gave a mischievous smile. "Oh, I see where you're getting at."

"Shiho-senpai?"

Shiho began rubbing her shoulders. "Hey, Yusuke. See how I'm rubbing Kasumi's shoulders?"

For some reason, Sumire shook in fear.

"Yes?"

"You can always paint Ren and Kasumi nude." She mischievously cocked her eyebrows while Sumire herself was severely blushing.

"Hmmm.... perhaps it could work. But only if Ren will allow it."

Sumire then took a look at herself using her phone.

_Great. I forgot I had this scar below my eye._

_But that's the good key in making sure you stay as Kasumi._

_But what if I don't want to be Kasumi anymore?_

"Yo, Kasumi!"

Sumire snapped back and nearly dropped her phone as Shiho shook her body.

"Jeez, you keep spacing out. Is something bothering you?"

_Yes._

"No."

Shiho shrugged it off. "Alright. So Yusuke, when are you free?"

Yusuke then pulled out a calendar scroll, something that obviously annoyed Shiho.

"You seriously brought a calendar with you?"

"I left my phone charging back in my apartment after my hands were full with the canvass."

Shiho scoffed. "Yeah, I can see why."

"As for my free time, I believe I'm free this Friday. Are you free this Friday, Kasumi?"

Kasumi nods firmly. "Will you meet us in Shibuya?"

"As we should. Unless Ren will give a recommendation for a venue."

Shiho sighed deeply. "Don't fucking tell me you need him to also bring lunch for you."

"I should remind him of that as well. My neighbors kept telling me to fry Romeo and Juliet, but I refuse to let my pets become a meal for a selfish stomach."

Yusuke's stomach growled, followed by Sumire's and Shiho's.

"Now I'm hungry."

"I know, Kasumi.... I know."

The three arrive in Kichijoji and bought some nikkuriman from a small store at the opening corner of Harmony Alley. Yusuke was surprised that Sumire bought 4 Spicy Nikkuriman and finished them before he could finish his own.

"Such speed in digestion!"

Shiho karate-chops his head. "Is that how you speak to a girl?" She turned to Sumire. "But then again, you sure eat fast, huh?"

"I can just lose it when I train later."

They then wandered around looking for a place to sit and rest. While resting on some stairs, they notice a couple bickering in a nearby shop.

"Lady Ann this, Lady Ann that! Goddamnit, Morgan! You are such a simp!" A brunette with makeup growled.

"Aw, come on, Mika! I told you to let it go already! Jeez, you can be a child sometimes!" A young, good-looking man with blue eyes and a yellow ascot tried to make her give up her ranting.

"You're a child as well when I showed you her sextape!"

"Just because I watched the entire thing doesn't mean she's at fault for this. You're a professional celebrity, so be like one!"

The woman named Mika jabbed her finger at his chest. "Don't fucking tell me how to run my career."

She storms off as Yusuke clicked his tongue.

"Such indignity from a beauty like her."

Shiho lets out a loud 'Pfft'. "A bitch like her ain't gonna-"

"Um, excuse me. Shiho?"

Shiho turned around to see the man named Morgan.

"Just great...."

The man then noticed Sumire and Yusuke. "My name is Morgan Felix. But I'm known as Morgana by everyone and Mona by Lady Ann."

Sumire furrowed her brows and analyzed Morgana's appearance.

_He's quite an eye-pleaser, but not as eye-pleasing as Ren-senpai._

_He is Japanese, but his blue eyes seem off._

_He has a thing for cats. Quite funny and makes sense, since his last name is Felix._

"Is something wrong, Miss...."

Sumire stopped staring and introduced herself. "Yoshizawa. Kasumi Yoshizawa."

Before Morgana can speak, Shiho stopped him. "Don't ask about the hospital thing and all. They're talking about her sister. End of story."

Morgana then accepted the short message and sighed. "Anyways, can you tell Lady Ann that she's needed next week for an advertisement filming?"

"About what?"

"Um, we're already done with the summer photoshoots and Lady Ann captivated us the most. But ever since she was suspended, I suspected Mika over there knew something."

Shiho, Yusuke, and Sumire crossed their arms.

"We need her for the Fall photoshoot. But she needs a partner in the shoot."

Sumire blurted out something by accident. "Does it have to be a boy?"

"Huh? No, not really. It can be you, Shiho-san, if it's okay with you."

Shiho tried to look around for another person named Shiho. "You're talking about me?"

"Uh, yeah." Morgana answered frankly. "Lady Ann did say to contact you for emergencies, but apparently we've finally met and so."

He then gave Shiho a folded piece of paper. "Let her read the details first. When it comes to Lady Ann, she makes her decisions firmly."

Morgana then bade the trio farewell. A minute of silence brewed around them until Yusuke spoke up.

"Is it me or does the 'Lady' in Ann's name sound so...."

"Annoying? Yes." Shiho didn't hold back while Sumire was left blank.

"I dunno. I find it cute, but I also find it weird."

Night fell, and Sumire returns home to the condo to find Ann burning something in the kitchen.

"Oh, no! No, no, no, no!" The blonde began swiping off the smoke as she popped the oven open.

"Ann-san! What happened?" Sumire dropped her bag and rushed to help Ann.

"Quick! Remove the smoke before-"

The smoke detectors were then triggered as the kitchen was suddenly sprinkled. Both girls got wet and smelled like burned chicken. After cleaning themselves up and ridding the unit of smoke and other foul smells, Sumire relayed the paper Morgana gave to Ann.

"Huh? A letter?"

She opens it and studied what it meant. Her eyes widened as she now has interest in the letter's contents.

"A Fashion Shoot for the Fall Season. Been a while since I did something for the colder holidays."

Sumire took a glance at Ann's wall. She had posters of herself, but two of them had photos of her in a sexy bikini.

"Is he the man you slept with?"

"Huh? No way in hell!" Ann jumped out of her seat in offense and defense. "I mean, he's a nice guy and all. But he's better off as a friend."

"O-Oh. I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions, Ann-san."

Sumire felt her hair ruffled by Ann.

"Cheer up, Kasumi-chan. Now come on. I wanna bring you to a place I love to frequent to at night."

_Cheer up? How can I cheer up?_

_Kasumi never cheers me up when I'm sad...._

Ann takes Sumire to the Jazz Jin in Kichijoji, and her surprise was ruined when Muhen recognized Sumire.

"Hey! Yoshizawa-san!"

"Huh? You know her already, Muhen-san?"

The bartender laughed. "She and your ex-boyfriend came here back in April. I was wondering if you lost the vibe since Risette isn't showing up."

"Wait, Risette was around as well??"

Muhen shook his head. "Well, Risette was quite intrigued with the redheaded young lady since she isn't Ren's usual type."

Sumire was then piqued. "What do you mean, Muhen-san?"

"Well, Ren was more on ladies who hated public attention. When he first brought Ann-chan here, she was feeling uneasy. Considering that Akechi was with them, I made sure that the lovely lady gets to feel at peace in my bar."

"And what about Makoto Niijima?"

Muhen looked at Sumire. "So you found his little harem web."

"Ah, Muhen-san!"

The bartender laughed again. "Relax, Ann-chan. It's a need-to-know basis, and she needs to know. But first, I need to know something."

Sumire leaned forward.

"Are you and Ren already dating?"

Ann rolled her eyes. "Unofficially."

"Ah, the jealousy bug bit ya already?"

"Pfft. As if."

"All right, ladies. Just pick your drinks and have a seat."

Both girls then made their orders and sat close to the far end of the bar.

"Sorry for the mood to go down so suddenly." Ann apologized as she looked at Sumire.

"It's okay."

The two then looked at the singer performing as Ann then remembered what Muhen said earlier.

"About what Muhen-san said.... about Ren liking girls who hate getting a lot of attention... that was the old him."

"Why?"

"Well, he's showing interest in you. An teen all-star who has the spotlight a lot for an athlete of a sport barely viewed on television."

Sumire continued to listen.

"Back when we were dating, I hated that people would try to catcall me or discriminate me and Ren because of relationship." She then remembered what Shiho blurted out before during their argument. "But realizing that even Shiho slept with Ren behind my back, I just don't know if he is still the same Ren Amamiya I became friends with."

Just then, a woman excused herself by clearing her throat.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

"Of course. You can t- Haru-sama?"

Sumire's tone made Haru flinch as Ann stared at her.

"Wow. I almost didn't recognize you there."

Haru sighed. "Yes, I know. But that's what having a disguise is all about, correct?"

"What brings you here, Haru-sama?" Sumire asked as she lets her face rest on her hand.

"Well, this is where I go for my peace time." She said as she removed her beret. "I'm troubled, actually."

"Huh? What happened this time?" Ann asked in surprise.

"Well, I just came from the university where I'm being given a rundown on what to do as Kasumi-chan's faculty. So many tasks at hand when they failed to realize that I'm trying to establish a business of my own at the same time."

"Are you talking about your own cafe?"

"Yes." Haru gave a soft but weak smile. "I'm amazed you still remember."

"Well, you did give me some pointers during your time with Ren-kun."

Haru immediately closed her mouth at mentioning Ren's name, but Ann shook her head and waved it off.

"It's fine, Haru. Don't try to beat yourself up for it."

Sumire then looked at the two girls as they talked to each other.

_I wonder...._

"Um, Haru-sama?"

"Yes?"

"I know I shouldn't be asking this, but you didn't happen to sleep with Ren-senpai before. Right?"

"N-No! I f-f-find it indecent to actually sleep with a man who.... happens to have a well-toned body." Haru tried to defend herself before muttering something under her breath.

Muhen arrived with their drinks and gave a small grin.

"Been a while since I had seen you two talk together."

"My apologies, Muhen-san."

"Don't worry about it." Muhen sighed. "Still, any word from Akechi?"

Ann kept quiet while Haru said she never received any messages from him. Muhen got the message and went on to continue serving the other customers.

"So...."

Ann and Haru gazed at Sumire.

"Yes?"

"I heard from Shiho that you tricked Futaba's uncle into admitting his crimes against the Sakura family."

"Y-Yeah...."

"How noble and brave of you, Kasumi-chan!"

_Kasumi.... they're only praising Kasumi..._

_She'd never bother helping Futaba-san out._

"It was the right thing to do. I can understand Futaba's pain towards her uncle...."

Sumire pulled out a handkerchief and wiped off incoming tears.

"So you have family issues as well, huh?"

Ann heard Haru mumble those words. "Haru..."

"No. It's okay. At the very least, I am here as Kasumi-chan's friend instead of her teacher."

Sumire blushed at the sound of it, but shook it off as Haru started sharing.

"You see, if you've heard about Big Bang Burger... then you know about the scandal that happened last year."

Sumire wants to say something, but she feared it would give an uneasy vibe.

"So in truth, Ren-kun dated me for a while. But had I known it was only a cover for his own investigation, I would have asked him to be my boyfrined."

"Isn't it the other way though?" Sumire tilted her head in confusion.

"Well, sometimes the girls get to ask the big Q." Ann clarified. "One of my co-actors was proposed marriage by his girlfriend not too long ago."

"I see."

_Huh._

_Huh...._

_Huh!?_

_I can just outright ask Ren-senpai to be my boyfriend already!?_

"I'm guessing you have ideas, Kasumi?" Ann gave a soft smug grin.

"No."

_Yes._

Haru giggled as she continued. "My father had connections to U.E.S. and tried to make me marry one of the faculty members there. Of course, Ren-kun made sure he played his role well. But as our short relationship went further, I realized more that Father has been using me as a pawn for his own purposes. After his arrest, many people began to assume that I was as bad as he is."

Ann held her hand and felt it shaking. "Hey, it's fine. You can prove them wrong entirely."

"Y-Yes."

"Um, I hate to ruin the mood.... but shouldn't we drink our refreshments before they get warm?"

Despite it being a rude question, Ann and Haru agreed.

A few days later, Sumire and Ren met up in Inokashira Park and rented a boat while waiting for Yusuke. While waiting, Sumire can't help but gaze at Ren the entire time.

"Is something wrong, Kasumi?" He asked.

"Oh, nothing. I just can't help but look at how handsome you are." She then realized she spoke out her thoughts and covered her gasp.

Ren chuckled and pats her head. "Take it easy, alright? It's just something we normally do everyday, right?"

Sumire nods as Ren pulled her next to him. Grasping her shoulder and laying both of them down, Ren tapped Sumire out of her trance.

"See the sky?"

"It's so clear..."

"Yeah. It's something I wanna see everyday without stressing myself out."

Sumire continued watching the sky as Ren frowned.

"I'm sorry we haven't been going out lately. Especially after what happened."

Sumire grabbed his hand and held it. "It's okay, Senpai. You were just being honest. I mean, I'd accept that than lying to someone entirely."

_Look who's talking._

Ren began to cuddle with her on the boat, causing Sumire to turn very red.

"How about we stay like this?"

"O-Okay, Senpai..."

As they enjoyed laying down together, Sumire began to run her thoughts once again.

_Oh. My. Gosh._

_This feels so nice._

_Ren-senpai's cuddling with me...._

_My heart can't take anymore of this!_

_So warm....._

Sumire then drifted to sleep. Ren saw a growing smile on her face and grinned. "Take your time."

...

...

...

Twenty minutes have passed.

"Are you done, Yusuke?"

Ren glared at Yusuke, who was actually on another boat not far from them.

"How did you know I was here?" He then scrunched his face. "And resume your previous position! I'm not yet done."

Ren then turned back to his sleeping beauty and continued talking to Yusuke.

"Don't you ever notify me if you're up to something?"

"I believe Kasumi was the one who told me to do the element of surprise."

Ren's widened as he looked at Sumire.

_Element of surprise, huh?_

_..._

_..._

_..._

_Another twenty minutes. Damnit, Yusuke!_

"I'm done!"

Ren breathed out a sigh of relief as Yusuke stood on his boat triumphantly.

"Hey, Sumi. Wake up now."

Sumire slowly woke up and saw Ren smiling at her.

"Senpai?"

"How was your sleep, Sumi?"

"Sumi?"

_SHIT! DID HE FOUND OUT ABOUT ME?!_

"Well, I can't keep saying your full name forever. So I decided to give you a nickname."

Yusuke overheard them and pointed out something obvious.

"Her ID says 'Sumi Yoshizawa' though."

Ren furrowed his brows. "Wait, for real?"

Sumire nods and carefully pulled out her ID.

_This is bad, Sumire! If he figures us out, we're capital F fucked!_

"Huh. So I guess me giving you a nickname wasn't necessary since you're using Sumi as your first name here."

The two then turned around to find Yusuke falling into the water, but his canvass is left on the boat.

"Yusuke-senpai! Are you okay?" Sumire panicked. "Is he a good swimmer, Senpai?"

"Well, if anything... he might appreciate the koi around here."

"Senpai!"

Yusuke then emerged from the water with a fish in his hand, confirming Ren's words.

"Toldja so."

Warming up in Bikkuri Boy, Yusuke sipped his tea and soup as he gazed at his artwork.

"I must thank you two for being my muse for today's artwork." He expressed his gratitude.

Ren took a bite at his burger steak and shrugged. "No worries, Yusuke."

Sumire then saw Morgana entering the diner with a guy with blue, spiky hair.

"You owe me for this, Mishima. Some producer you turned out to be."

"I said I'm sorry already!" The man named Mishima showed his irritation. "It's not my fault Mika told me to set up the camera in Ann's wardrobe!"

"Think of me treating you to lunch as one of the 55 forgiveness methods you managed to unlock."

"Come on, Morgana!"

Eavesdropping on what they just said, Sumire surmised that Ann's sextape was a set-up to ruin her reputation.

_I knew it. I knew that woman from yesterday had something to do with it._

Ren noticed her angry expression and rubbed her shoulders.

"Hey, you okay?"

Sumire felt flustered, but she made him know she isn't okay.

_Damnit, why did the shoulder-rubbing thing happen?_

_Shiho-senpai, are you some psychic or something?_

"No, Ren-senpai. I just overheard someone talk about Ann-san cruelly."

Ren sighed. "You're heading back for Ann's, right?"

"Yeah."

"Tell her to stay off the internet first. Apparently, her suspension is the top trending thing right now."

Sumire nods her head before Ren kissed her forehead.

"Stay safe, alright?"

"Y-Y-Yeah, Senpai!"

She gave a cute salute while turning entirely red again before heading home.

Arriving home, Sumire found Ann watching TV and told her what Ren said.

"Grrr, why does everyone want to treat my life like a scandal all the time!?" Ann yelled furiously.

"But that's not all."

"Huh?"

Sumire also told her about what she heard in the diner.

"That bitch!" Ann rolled her sleeves and tried to march to the door.

"Wait, Ann-san! You can't just go violent on that Mika lady!"

"I'm gonna give her a piece of my mind and maybe a knuckle sandwich for this!" Ann vented out every ounce of anger. "Did you know how much I hate her ever since we became co-stars? She really loves getting on my nerves, both on-set and off-set. But knowing she was the one behind my suspension the entire time and how she intentionally wanted me to be shamed? Bull-fucking-shit!"

Sumire pulled Ann away from the front door.

"Why not we try something without ruining your reputation any further?"

Ann thought of the million ways she can beat Mika up, but sighed in defeat. "Fine."

Sumire then had an idea. "Were there other actors and actresses she despised?"

"Well.... she mostly bitches out at everyone. Though I don't have any evidence for it."

"What if we ask Mr. Felix for any footage?"

"What!? And hear about his endless 'Lady Ann' comments on me? Uh-uh." Ann crossed her arms to form an X.

Sumire pouted. "Do you want your reputation to be saved or what?"

Ann balled her hands into fists and tried to resist the urge to roar. Sumire gave her a pillow for her to muffle the loud roar.

"Kasumi."

"Yeah?"

"Do you really have to go through great heights just to help strangers like me, Shiho, and the others?"

Ann's words were more intimidating than inquiring. Sumire ignored the tone and replied.

"Everyone has their problems. It's best if I help you all out in this."

Ann then remembered what she said when they met before.

"Whatever happened to letting people handle their own problems and not relying on others?"

"Well, think of it as an exception. I just want to make sure you guys aren't getting too worked up with a lot of problems."

Sumire once again drowned in her thoughts.

_Worked up on problems, huh? You're one to talk._

_No one even cares if I get worked up with my problems._

_Hell, no one even cares if I have problems..._

Ann noticed how tense Sumire got and asked her to go to sleep instead.

Over the weekend, Sumire spent a lot of her time working in LeBlanc since Ren is with Maruki for his research. As for Futaba, she's currently joining an online tournament to win a huge cash prize to support the family. Sojiro took it easy on Sumire as he can't thank her enough for the risky idea she just did not too long ago.

"You can go take a break, Yoshizawa-chan. I'll take it over from here."

"Thank you, Sakura-san!"

As she went out of the cafe and took a short stroll, she sees Ryuji heading for LeBlanc. She follows him and calls him.

"Ryuji-senpai!"

"Oh... hey, Kasumi." He greeted with a low sad tone.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothin'. Ren around?"

"Sorry, but he's with Dr. Maruki in his research."

Ryuji kicked the ground in disappointment. "Figures. I guess I'll just kill time in the batting cages then."

Sumire then watched Ryuji leave and wondered if he has a problem of his own.

_Something's wrong with Ryuji-senpai. But why? And who can help me at this time?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One problem to another, Sumi is getting a whole lot occupied with many things. Whether she is enjoying in helping them is basically up to her.
> 
> But for now, she'll only be having a great day with the crew in the third chapter of this arc, "Great Days Pt.3"!


	16. Great Days (Pt.3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Sumire once again assists Yusuke while learning about the true reason behind Ann's suspension in her work. She also learns that Haru was only a cover for Ren's secret fight against her corrupt father years prior.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's up?
> 
> We're 2 chapters away from reaching the 50% mark of this story! Get ready to be amazed once the second semester begins a few chapters away from now.
> 
> I hope the story hasn't gone boring for y'all.
> 
> Let's get it on!

Midway through summer vacation, Futaba contacts the group for some hang time in LeBlanc while using the opportunity to get Sumire to talk about herself more. As soon as everyone has gathered, an awkward tension brewed the moment Yusuke was the last person to enter the cafe.

"Sooooooo........" Futaba whistled.

"Uh......" Shiho lets out a blank sound.

"Is anyone gonna...." Ann nervously spoke.

...

...

...

...

"So, Ryuji!" Makoto decided to remove the tension from everyone and not her boyfriend's.

"Gah!"

"What the hell was that reaction for?" She furrowed her brows.

"N-Nothin'!"

Futaba then began to rile them up. "Doesn't sound like nothing, Ryuji. You hiding something from us?"

"Hell no!" Ryuji defended himself further from whatever scrutiny he is about to face.

Ren then felt his mouth creep a smile. "So you won't tell me about what happened at work?"

"Which work?"

"Oh, you know.... Paradise Suspicious."

"Dude, why do you like messing with me about my night job?" Ryuji hung his head in shame.

"Probably coz you took a very unexpected job for someone the likes of you." Ann emphasized as Ryuji glared back at her.

"Speaking of unexpected jobs... you didn't fucking tell us Mika was shitting around again."

Ann's eyes widened, then squinted towards Sumire with a deathly glare.

Sumire took notice instantly and hid behind Ren.

"Eep!"

"Kasumi!"

"I had to! I'm sorry!"

Makoto sighed and talked again. "We're trying to get a hold of Golden Wind Studios to see if there is any cut footage or stray footage that managed to capture Mika doing acts unbecoming of a professional celebrity."

"True." Yusuke agreed. "A woman who doesn't show humility towards the art she creates does not deserve the title of entertainer."

"That's..... one way to put it." Shiho said as Ren served their sandwiches while Sumire was busy cooking the curry.

"So, Kasumi-chan!"

"Yes, Haru-sama?"

Makoto heard Sumire addressing Haru like that. "Haru-sama?"

"Oh, I'm sorry! I forgot to tell you, Mako-chan, but I'm now a teacher in East Shinjuku!"

Makoto glared at Haru for a second. "After what Ren did to you back when you schooled there?!"

Ren cleared his throat. "I'm right here, y'know."

Makoto felt embarrassed and sat back down. Sumire then finished cooking the first batch of curry and served everyone their servings.

"Do you love to cook, Kasumi-chan?" Haru then went on to question Sumire.

"Yes, I do! But..."

Everyone's attention went to her, causing the redhead to suddenly panic internally.

_Shit, why are they looking at me?_

_*gasp* You did not just doubt your passion, Sumire!_

_*gasp* Kasumi, what did I do?!_

"Uh, Sumi?" Ren clapped his hands in front of her face, snapping her back to reality.

"Yes?"

Futaba noticed Ren calling her Sumi instead of Kasumi. "Oh-ho, now you're an official couple if you call Kasumi by her nickname!"

Shiho shot down Futaba's teasing when she told them that that is her name registered in U.E.S.'s registry.

"Aw, man."

Ryuji then saw a stack of cards on the counter and grinned wide.

"How about we play Tycoon? With a twist?"

"Hooray!" Haru applauded. "What kind of twist, Ryuji-kun?"

Ryuji began to give a creepy look at everyone, including Haru herself.

"Uh, buddy?"

"Ryuji?"

"You're planning something perverted, aren't you?"

"You motherfucking monkey, you better not force me into a skimpy bunny suit."

Ren, Futaba, Haru, and Makoto looked at Shiho after said that. The volleyball girl waved them off while hiding her growing blush.

"Ryuji, sweetie.... it better not be something _stupid._ "

"Ryuji-kun, your smile is somewhat terrifying."

"He looks like a serial killer with that toothy grin of his."

"Ryuji-senpai, what are you scheming?"

"Beggar in every round shares their most embarrassing moment in their life!"

Ren groaned in annoyance. "This again?"

"No way, buddy! We didn't tell Sumire your biggest humiliation yet!"

Ren grabbed Ryuji by the collar. "You wouldn't dare..."

"Actually..."

Ren and Ryuji turned to see Yusuke pulling out his phone.

"... if this is about the dance from not too long ago, I am willing to show it to everyone should Ren be the beggar."

"Yusuke, my man, throw me a fucking bone here!" Ren pleaded as Futaba lets out a mischievous laugh.

"Mwehehehe... I'll be happy to share it to everyone, Inari."

_Damnit, I better not be the beggar at any round._

"Alright! Who's going up against Ren-Ren?" Ryuji declared as Haru and Shiho raised their hands. "Alright, one more.... Hey, Kasumi, how about you?"

"M-M-ME!?"

_Oh, boy. This is getting ugly real fast._

_Gotta avoid becoming a Beggar then._

"Time to show you losers what I'm made of!" Shiho cracked her knuckles as Makoto gave her an ominous smile.

"I hope you are not referring to gambling. I heard from a con artist yesterday that a college girl bested him in poker before running off when we crashed the party."

Shiho froze in fear and immediately denied Makoto's accusation. (Though in truth, it was really her.)

Ryuji then distributed the cards as Ren, Haru, Shiho, and Sumire began playing....

...

...

...

"... Here!" Haru throws a King Card over Shiho's Jack Card.

"Nope!" Ren throws a 2 Card, forcing everyone to pass. He then removed his glasses and tosses them into the air.

"LET'S TURN THE TABLES!"

"A Revolution?! Noooo....." Sumire cried as Ren slammed four 10 Cards.

_Ugh, this is bad. I have the other 2 card and a 7 card._

"What's wrong, Kasumi?" Shiho looked at her with a smug grin. "Bad cards, I presume?"

Sumire stayed silent as Ren took over as Tycoon of the first round and Haru as the Rich Person. It was down to Shiho and Sumire on who ends up becoming a beggar.

"Urgh, gonna gamble!" Kasumi throws her 2 card, only for Shiho to throw a 9 card and sigh in disappointment.

"That sucked."

"I'm a Beggar...."

Futaba mischievously laughed again. "Mwehehehe! It's time for Secrets with Sumi!"

Sumire began to panic internally again as she had to find a memory deep in her brain.

"So, Kasumi-chan..." Ann began. "What's one thing you find embarrassing?"

Sumire found an idea, but it was only because she had no other choice.

"......underwear."

"Come again?" Yusuke didn't catch her mumbling.

"I said I sometimes wear food-themed underwear." She blushed furiously.

"Which one ya wearing now?"

"Futaba-san!"

"Futaba, what the hell did I tell you about privacy?"

"Ah, shuddup, Ren! I know you wanna ask her the same idea."

Ren hid his heating face, earning a photograph taken by Futaba.

"Damnit, Futaba! Delete it!"

"NEVERRRRR!" Futaba then runs out of the store, only to return seconds later when she remembered that the game isn't over entirely.

"Just tell me, Kasumi-chan." Ann leaned close to her and blushed at what Sumire told her. "Like, for real?"

"Ann?"

"Back off, Yusuke!"

Shiho couldn't fathom what they were whispering about until Ann 'betrayed' Sumire and texted Shiho that she's wearing strawberry-themed undies.

"Welp! Time for Round 2!" Ryuji picks up the cards and reshuffles them as he sees Ren with a smug face.

_Thinkin' you won't be the Beggar, huh?_

....

....

....

".... I'll end this."

"Oh, do slow down!"

"Come on, Ren!"

"That's not fair, Senpai!"

Ren was enjoying his unbeatable streak being put with high stakes as he unleashed another Revolution. Unfortunately, Sumire ended up becoming the Beggar again.

"This is so embarrassing...." She muttered. "Another embarrassing moment, huh?"

"Yep."

Sumire gulped big. "Well, um, there was this one time I baked a cake for my dad on his birthday. I managed to pull it out of the oven, but I slipped and the cake landed on my face. My dad thought I was 'entering that time of age' when he saw me turning beet red and recovering from my fall."

Ryuji whistled as he avoided Shiho's gaze.

"Don't think about it, Ryuji."

"I then explained to him I just fell, but my mom then kept pressuring me that I fell _in love with the cake that I kissed it like a lover._ "

"Oh my!" Haru tried to stop her giggling. "That was surely intimate of you with the cake."

Futaba then joined in the talk. "So you really sure you had no boy in mind?"

"Futaba-san!"

Ren waved Futaba off immediately and gathered the cards.

"Alright, Round 3!"

...

...

...

"...Pass."

"Um, this one!"

"Not so fast!"

"Not on my watch!"

"Aw, crap."

"Yay! I'm the Tycoon!"

Ren's eyes widened at Sumire as he saw that her card was a 3 of Hearts after she overruled Shiho's Joker card with a 3 of Spades. He then clutched his head in sorrow as he has been bankrupt by Sumire.

"Well, well, well...." Makoto crept a mischievous grin. "It seems Ren is the Beggar."

"Yusuke! Send it!"

"The first time you called me by my real name, Futaba. Very well." Yusuke then clicked the share button to Futaba as she began laughing maniacally.

"What's wrong wi-"

Ren held Sumire's shoulder and stopped her from finishing her question. "Don't ask. Please...."

After receiving the file from Yusuke, Futaba ran out of the cafe and returned minutes later with a projector and laptop. Ren's blood ran cold at the impending humiliation the others are about to watch. Sumire held Ren's hand for reassurance.

"Come on, Senpai. I'm sure it's not that bad."

Futaba then sets the film up and opens the file. It happens to be a dance video from a summer from not too long ago.

_Years ago...._

"Dude, no."

"Please?"

"Yusuke, please be the logical one here and say that this is the most ridiculous thing we're gonna be doing."

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Ryuji here, Ren. The dance choreography seems to be intimidating but entertaining."

"Goro?"

"I don't mind watching you humiliate yourself, so I'll be dancing with you idiots to see the reaction."

Ren sighed in defeat as he looked at his costume. Wearing a black tank top that looks like a midriff, khaki pants with folded ends, red leather shoes, and a weird hat, Ren never felt this embarrassed. Especially when Ryuji forced him to join his idea for the summer.

"If we don't win the cash prize, however, the consolation should be your pain, Sakamoto."

"Don't be a dick, Akechi. And besides, we WILL win this one."

Ren then gawked at his comrades' clothes. Yusuke wears a purple suit with holes all over it, Ryuji wears a beanie with an arrow motif to go along with his small red and blue sweater, red pants, and Victorian boots, and Akechi wearing a black coat with baggy pants, boots, and an exposed chest.

_"And for our final performers of the night, let us give a round of applause to the former delinquent transfer student of Shujin Academy, Ren Amamiya, and his misfits crew!"_

Ren and the boys walked onto the stage as everyone was shocked to see Akechi joining them. Looking at the crowd, Ren sees Ann and Shiho holding their phones up.

_This will be the death of me._

The music then suddenly plays a funky beat with a high pitch chorus. Ren shuffled his feet while making snapping movements before shifting his body towards Ryuji for the synchronized movements. They then extend their arms to the air and drop them to their knees as Yusuke and Akechi finally join them. Everyone was mixed from holding in their laughter to being in awe with their synced dancing. Still sporting dead-serious looks in the dance, Ren and the boys then performed odd formations and zombie-like movements as they danced until the song ended. Surprisingly, the girls hounded onto Akechi as the video ends there.

....

....

....

"Snrk! Hihihihi...."

"Uh, Kasumi?" Ryuji looked at the girl next to Ren.

"Pfffffffffff....."

"She's trying to hold it in, huh?" Ann was prepared for a contagious laugh.

"Hihihihihi... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHA!" Sumire can't help but laugh at what she just saw, causing Ren to get flustered.

"I'm sorry, Senpai, but this.... Hahahaha! This is so pure, especially with the serious faces you guys had!" Sumire continued to laugh and laugh until Futaba popped an idea.

"So, you think you three still have the moves?"

Ren immediately glared at Futaba. "Nope! No way! No Sir-ee Bob! Not in a million years!"

Shiho then began to poke fun at Ren. "Do it, do it, do it, do it!"

Haru joined in the chant as Futaba and Ann followed. Ren looked at Makoto as the voice of reason.

"Makoto, come on."

Ryuji realized his mistake in the idea when Makoto pecked him in the cheek. "Please dance that again."

Ren hung his head in shame. "Fiiiiiine. But where shall we dance? I doubt there's any space in LeBlanc." His shame became smug as he reminded them of the space occupancy.

Sumire then kissed him in the cheek. "Oh, I know where.... Ren-Ren."

_Oh, boy....._

As the group made it to Shibuya Station Square, even Ryuji and Yusuke hated the idea now.

"Hell no! We ain't street performers, damnit!"

"I may be struggling financially, but I am certainly not a beggar of any identification."

"Relaaaaax. You ever see one of those mob dancing videos in America?" Ann tried to give them some spirit.

"Not giving any confidence here, Ann." Ren muttered as he is half-glad that he doesn't need to wear the costume.

"Aw, come on! Please, Senpai?" Sumire then pouted and gave him the puppy eyes. Ren gets paralyzed by this while Ann and Haru were surprised that Sumire figured out one of Ren's weaknesses.

"Okay then. But just this once!" He then looked at Futaba, who started the music. Unbeknownst to the boys, Shiho placed a sign that reads: " **Helping a friend in the hospital. Dancing to this for funds until we reach 200,000 yen** ".

Ren began shuffling his feet again to keep himself in sync with the beat. Ryuji immediately joins him followed by Yusuke once they began doing more movements while keeping a very serious expression on their faces. Passersby began to notice them and suddenly began giving money. The boys were so engrossed with the music that they did not notice the people giving money.

"Do you want some of us girls to join them?" Haru asked the crowd as they said yes. Shiho, Sumire, and Ann felt their blood chill as Haru pushes them to the boys to get in line with the dance.

"Shit! I can't keep up." Shiho said with a flushed face.

"Ugh, this is really embarrassing when I do it...." Ann hissed as she tried to mimic Ryuji.

"I am so done with this." Sumire sighed as they approach the chorus again. When the beat dropped, even the girls got in sync and gave serious faces as more people gave money and recorded them.

While the group dances, Haru then gets an idea and takes a photo.

"This should be fun for the cafe's silhouette contour on the walls...." She giggled as the song finally ends its loop after reaching 200,000 yen.

"The hell!?"

Akechi spat his drink as he saw what was trending on the internet.

"What's wrong, Akechi?" Sae glanced at him for how sudden his curse was. She then saw the video and bit her lip with a smile.

"I can't believe they're doing that with those faces."

Akechi sighed in exasperation. "Believe it or not, I kinda danced to that in a similar manner as well."

Later in the evening, it was down to Shiho, Ann, Ren, Ryuji, Sumire, and Yusuke as Haru returned to the site of her upcoming cafe while Makoto went to work. Futaba was only called by Sojiro to explain why her equipment were still loitered in LeBlanc. The group settled around the train station as they wonder where to go to next.

"I think I lost 20 years of my life for doing that again." Ren groaned.

"Y-Yeah.... I think I'll be forced to dance that if Makoto wants me in bed with her." Ryuji grunted as he kicked the tiles.

"Frankly, I hope I do not wish to be used for whatever funds Futaba has been thinking about." Yusuke growled as he remembered catching Futaba bringing the sign with her.

"But it was fun though!" Ann cheered them up. "And honestly, today was the most fun I've had with you guys."

"Hey, I enjoyed today as well. I mean, we're glad you're back, Ann." Ryuji said with a smile.

"Oh, you...."

"Indeed. For now, I do not need to rely on your photos for inspiration of smaller artworks." Yusuke remarked, annoying Ann a bit.

"Yeah, I know. But that's what we like about you, Yusuke."

A voice from behind them gave congratulations.

"That was a remarkable performance there. Excellent work!"

The group turned around to see Maruki standing there drinking an apple smoothie.

"You saw it live or-"

"Live. In fact, I was about to give you guys money. But then I realized that no one's in the hospital among you."

Maruki was smart. Real smart.

Sumire then looked at her phone and gasped loudly. "Oh, my gosh! We missed practice today!"

While Shiho and Ann pumped their fists in the air, Ren hugged her from behind.

"Don't worry. You still got tomorrow."

Maruki then remembered something. "Oh, yeah. Speaking of which, enrollment period for the second semester begins next week. Commissioner Noriyaki wants the enrollment alphabetized for some reason."

Ren furrowed his brows. "What do you mean, 'alphabetized'?"

"Well," Maruki scratched his head. "Remember what happens whenever it's enrollment period?"

Ren hung his head after remembering. "Riiiiiiiiiight."

Sumire began to get lost in thought once again as Ren, Shiho, and Maruki discussed enrollment.

_I forgot I have to pay my tuition fee again._

_What's to pay? It was a 90% discount on the tuition._

_Honestly better than not paying at all. But since I'm low on cash....._

_Uh, hello? Earth to Sumire? You're pretending to be Kasumi._

_I wish I could just stop pretending already._

When Sumire snapped back to reality, Ann was waiting for her to stop spacing out.

"Huh? Where'd everyone go?"

"Ryuji went to Paradise Suspicious, Yusuke went to Ueno, Shiho went home, Ren and Maruki decided to head for the mental ward to interview Lavenza again."

"Oh." Sumire frowned. "Should we go home then?"

"Of course. Want me to help you make your pizza again?"

Sumire flashed a smile. "Of course. Let's go!"

_Ren-senpai dancing was the cutest thing I've seen about him._

_He makes my heart every time he does something._

_I can't stop my feelings at this rate..._

_Even if I am posing as Kasumi...._

_._

_._

_._

_.... I hope he would still love me when I tell him the truth._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone reading this and figuring out what their dance was is a legend in the anime knowledge. I shall reward thee with an arrow. (Though honestly, I wish that were real)
> 
> As for Sumire being the beggar twice in a row, I have come to notice that every time I play Tycoon with her, she is beggar-prone when faced with Akechi, Morgana, Futaba, and Ryuji.
> 
> As for Morgana, he will reappear in a future chapter. And for his name here to be "Morgan Felix" was just a play on him being a cat wanting to be a human.
> 
> As enrollment time is around the corner, Sumire begins to contemplate on a few things. Find out what and why on the next chapter, "Uncalled Misfortunes".....


	17. Uncalled Misfortunes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Sumire and the gang decide to play a game which ends up becoming something fun and eye-catching.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna warn y'all ahead as this is a chapter where Sumire is now having depressive thoughts which garners her the beginning of a breakdown.
> 
> The breakdown will be expressed further on a later chapter, so hold onto that.
> 
> For now, let's go with the story!

Enrollment has already begun near the end of August, and Sumire is waiting for her turn to enroll. Ren went first since his surname starts with A, so she had to do the job in LeBlanc alone. A few days later, it was Shiho's turn, so she had to do practice and workouts on her own. At both scenarios, she felt emptiness and loneliness since no one is around to hang out with her.

"Aren't you bored, Kasumi-chan?" Ann asked her.

"Half-bored, Ann-san." Sumire replied with a low tone.

In Ann's case, she evaded any form of public viewing after their little stunt in Shibuya Square. Not until she gets a hold of Mika's little scheme.

"Well, if you feel like it... why not help me out with some cookie-baking?"

Sumire then nods her head as she wrote something in her notebook. After a short while, she joins Ann in baking cookies. Initially, they want the baked goods to be normal choco chip cookies, but Sumire decided to try baking cookies with different shapes.

"What kind of shapes?"

"Hmm.... why not something which represents each one of us?"

"Ooh! Then I have quite the idea!"

Nearly three hours later, the redhead and the blonde finished baking the cookies. Finally seeing what they made, Sumire and Ann felt proud as they then reviewed each cookie.

"A black and white masquerade mask. Fitting for Ren. Mysterious on the outside, but wonderful on the inside."

"A skull cookie for Ryuji-senpai. Shows his hard nature while hiding the softness of his soul."

"A cat-head cookie that represents me! Shows how feisty and ferocious I can be."

"A kitsune cookie signifying Yusuke-senpai. Foxes are often seen in art, so I guess this fits him well."

"A weird, visor-like cookie for Makoto. Err, I dunno why but for me that motorcycle of hers looks very intimidating."

"That doesn't make sense, Ann-san."

"I know! But they way we formed it looks like a deathly visor that knights wear."

"Then why not relate her to medieval times?"

"Huh... okay then."

"A VR helmet cookie for Futaba-san. Figured she was into gaming a lot."

"Yeah. Eh-hehe. Just gaming...."

"So a dark chocolate-covered cookie for Haru-sama. This shows how simple she is despite the darkness in her life."

"It could also describe Ren, but it fits Haru more."

"True."

"And a sparrow cookie for Shiho! This fits her nickname back in her volleyball days."

"Which is?"

"The Volleyball Bird of Prey."

The two girls then store the cookies in the fridge and call it a day since they spent a lot of energy on baking custom cookies.

The next day, it was Sumire's turn to enroll. However, as she walked towards school, she began to hear whispers from some people.

_Did you hear? Yoshizawa's getting her scholarship revoked._

_But I saw her pay her tuition despite the scholarship. What's the point of revoking it now?_

_Maybe it's because she doesn't want to do gymnastics anymore?_

_I mean, maybe. That accident kinda gave her a few injuries, after all._

_Regardless, she can't go to U.E.S. anymore if they revoke that shit._

Sumire felt nervous as she paced faster to the school. But the more people she passed by, the more rumors she hears.

_Yoshizawa is getting booted?! Why?_

_She was only accepted because of gymnastics. And with no word on her training, she is getting the boot._

_I heard Chairman Noriyaki is removing a few scholarships to challenge the students._

_That's pretty fucked up, especially to Yoshizawa-san._

_Removing a few students to make sure the school's reputation is at high? Damnit, I don't want my dream college to end up like fucking Shujin!_

_This is bullshit! They're prioritizing that Yoshizawa bitch over us?!_

Sumire started running, hoping that what she is hearing is true. She bumps into a man with silver hair and a woman with scarlet locks as they entered the university.

"I'm sorry!" Sumire bowed and apologized before running towards the office of Maruki.

While the psychology teacher/counselor was taking some relaxation incense, Sumire bursts through the door while panting heavily.

"Gah! Yo-Yoshizawa-san? What are y-"

"Is it true?"

"What are you talking about?" Maruki asked with confusion only for Sumire to demand with a venomous tone.

"IS IT TRUE THAT I'M GETTING KICKED OUT!?"

Maruki was shocked to hear what she just said. He stood up and gestured Sumire to sit and wait for him.

"I'm not just-"

"Yoshizawa-san, I am simply requesting you to stay put and wait. I should investigate about this."

"Dr. Maruki-"

"I SAID WAIT! YOU'VE HELPED ME ALREADY, SO LET ME RETURN THE DAMN FAVOR!" Maruki barked back at Sumire, causing her to shake in fear. Maruki realized his actions and apologized to her before rushing to the scholarship's office.

Sumire waited for Maruki for nearly 15 minutes, and she eventually felt depressed again after realizing that nothing is going her way again.

_What the hell?! Why have they not realized that I don't want to be Kasumi anymore?_

_Unfortunately, they wouldn't care about how Sumire wants to live life as._

_They only care about Kasumi..._

_Why not we truly become Kasumi?_

_Huh? And steal everything after all we've been through?_

_Keep it together, Sumire! Don't fall for temptation!_

_Oh, but it's pretty clear they hate simple old Sumire who sees gymnastics as a hobby. No...._

_.... they only want Kasumi who sees gymnastics as a lifestyle. Something to define life as a whole._

_NO! I will not steal Kasumi's life!_

_But you already have....._

Sumire shook her head and ran out of the office to the scholarship's office. However, she noticed the door being locked and decides to eavesdrop on the argument. Luckily, no one was there to catch her in the act.

"You goddamn promised!" Maruki growled at Noriyaki.

"I have warned you before, Maruki. Yet I have not heard word from our Athletics faculty on her asking for practices nor requesting the time for it."

"She does her own practices! I watched her perform in her personal training and-"

"I don't give a damn about personal training or whatever private bullshit that brat is doing! We are expecting results from a high-caliber athlete, goddamnit!"

"What if she doesn't want that kind of lifestyle anymore? What if-"

"Then she will be banned from ever enrolling here forever!"

Maruki finally lets his temper get to him as he slammed his fist on the table.

"You son of a bitch! Caring only for whatever fucking selfish reason you desire while using the scholarships of every student to attain your personal goal!"

"I will report you to the board for your defiance and unprofessionalism, Takuto!"

"Go ahead! See if I care, you sick fuck!"

Sumire shook in horror and was paralyzed in despair as she retreated for a bit.

_Too much expectations.... Heh._

_I can't believe it....._

_I guess I wasn't genuinely accepted by the school after all...._

While she was drowning in her thoughts, the man and woman from earlier entered the office.

"What's going on here?" The woman demanded an explanation.

"Miss Kirijo! Thank god! Fire this man at once for his insolence towards my decision on-"

The silver-haired man cuts him off. "Revoking a few scholarships just to promote the Law Department? Noriyaki, are you out of your damn mind?"

"Don't fucking hiss at me, Narukami! We haven't been getting any word from our latest scholar, so it'd be best to remove her scholarship to avoid the hassle."

Maruki then talked to the people named Narukami and Kirijo. "Narukami-san... Kirijo-san... he is planning to ban Yoshizawa-san from entering this school again! If he can ban her, he can ban anyone not giving any results to the school's reputation."

"You lie! Just because I'm revoking a few scholarships doesn't mean I'm banning them from schooling here!"

Kirijo then slammed both of her hands with anger. "And you did it without consulting to us about that!?"

"It's not my fault neither of you answered my calls."

"That doesn't give you the right to run the school when the administration has a lot of stuff on their hands." Narukami defied Noriyaki's reasoning.

Meanwhile, Shiho finds Sumire still rocking her body outside the scholarship office and approaches her.

"Kasumi? Are y-"

Before she can finish, Sumire then gives her an ominous order.

"Go away."

"What?"

"I said go away!"

Shiho did not comply and crouched down. "Like hell, I will! I'm gonna help you out this-"

Out of impulse, Sumire pushes Shiho and gets her head banged onto a bulletin board. Seeing that her friend's head is bleeding, Sumire returns to reality and realized her actions.

"I'm sorry..." She wept. "I'm so sorry!"

"K-K-Kasumi..." Shiho was still insistent on helping Sumire out, but the redhead ran off.

Fortunately, the noise was noticed by Maruki as he found Shiho on the ground bleeding.

"Suzui-san!"

Narukami took a peek and saw Maruki helping Shiho up. He then glanced at Noriyaki before slamming the door shut.

"Shiho Suzui was outside the office. If I remember right, she had a volleyball scholarship despite her incident in Shujin. Care to explain what happened to that scholarship?"

"She didn't join any of the varsity practices, so I removed her from the scholarship program and made sure she will never apply for it unless she gives us an impressive result."

Kirijo crossed her arms in disgust. "Something tells me you aren't just promoting the Law Department, as what Takuto Maruki said... you're getting rid of students who are not living up to YOUR expectations as a scholarship officer."

"Woman," Noriyaki stood up and roared, "I run the scholarships and see fit if they are truly deserving of it or not! We are not some charity center for stupid brats who do not live up to the expectations bestowed upon them when they first applied to the scholarship program of this school!"

Narukami then spoke with a stern tone. "Then as one of the board members of the university, I nominate you, Yoshimitsu Noriyaki, to be removed from your position as scholarship officer."

"YOU BASTARD!"

"Not only that," Kirijo added, "I heard from some of the faculty that you've been blackmailing them with photographs of their daily activities. That is already grounds of completely unemployment and blacklist towards whatever job you're going after."

Noriyaki was stunned. He has nowhere left to run now.

Later in the afternoon, Sumire hid herself in an alleyway in Shibuya and cried as her mind raced again.

_I can't believe it.... I got Shiho-senpai hurt._

_As if hurting her leg again wasn't enough, I got her head bleeding._

_Stupid, stupid, stupid Sumire! This is all my fault..._

_I can't do this anymore... I just can't!_

Meanwhile, a gruffy man who owns the airsoft gun store near her crying spot offered her food. Sumire looked up and saw the man giving a soft smile.

"If your boyfriend mistreated ya or somethin', then allow me to give ya something to relax with."

Sumire took the food and thanked him. She hoped that eating the food would be alright. As soon as she was finished eating, she rushed to LeBlanc to confide with Ren on something. But when she arrived, she hears numerous voices inside.

"Seriously!? Kasumi-chan did that?" Ann was perplexed as Shiho told them what happened.

"Yeah. I just found Kasumi eavesdropping outside the scholarship office. I wanted to help, but she kept saying 'Go away'."

Yusuke placed a finger on his forehead. "It seems that she has problems of her own as well."

Futaba then added her gatherings. "I heard from one of my gamer friends from U.E.S. that Kasumi's getting booted outta school because she isn't doing gymnastics anymore."

"That's bullshit! She's been training with me a lot!"

"Yeah, but training with you isn't an indicator of her actually training for gymnastics, Shiho." Ann said, angering Shiho.

"Then what the hell are you all implying?"

Ryuji raised his hand. "Maybe we should become her trainers or something. I mean, her competition is this December, right?"

"Yep. I guess we gotta make sure she gets to train more just to avoid getting the boot from the administration." Futaba suggested.

"I agree. I may not know Yoshizawa-san that much, but it is going to be hectic for her to use up a lot of time in her training." Makoto remarked.

"But I'm still her teacher. I can't just allow Kasumi-chan to ditch my classes for her gymnastics training." Haru protested, to which Maruki agreed.

"I agree with Okumura-san here. As a fellow teacher and her guide in college, I can't force her to do it if she doesn't want to."

"But look at what happened to Shiho, Doc!" Futaba pointed. "It's not justifiable on her actions."

"Look, let's calm down and-"

"I have to agree with Futaba. Although she can express gymnastics as nothing than a mere hobby now, it doesn't change the fact that Kasumi would go violent towards her friends." Yusuke interjected.

"Hey, hold on a sec-"

"Regardless if Suzui-san's injuries now were intentional or not, Yoshizawa-san is left with no choice but to really perform gymnastics again if she wants to stay in East Shinjuku." Makoto concluded.

Maruki sighed in defeat. "I guess I have to agree with Niijima-san on this."

Haru frowned. "Yeah. I feel sorry for her, especially with her sister still in the hospital."

Futaba wasn't any giver of good news. "Well, unfortunately, according to what I've read.... some people die under comatose. If her sister won't wake up until around December, she's as good as dead."

"FUTABA!" Ann scolded the techie.

"That's uncalled for, Futaba Sakura!" Shiho yelled at her.

"Dude, not cool." Ryuji agreed.

Makoto, being the (unfortunate) logical one, agreed with Futaba. "It's true. I mean, that was how Father died."

"Mako-chan..."

"Niijima-san..."

"I'm sorry. I know comparing Yoshizawa-san's sister to my father is not a good idea, but I am just saying that there is a chance."

Ren then entered the store with a worried look. What he said next placed everyone on edge.

"Come on, Kasumi. Everyone's here already." He left the door open.

"WHAT!?" Ann.

"SHIT!" Ryuji.

"SHE HEARD US!?" Futaba.

"Such indignity we have spoken..." Yusuke.

"This can't be good..." Makoto.

"Oh no..." Haru.

"Well, shit." Shiho.

Sumire entered the cafe with puffy eyes and began to spat at them.

"After what I've done to help you all...."

Shiho tried to approach Sumire. "Kasumi..."

Ren then looked at everyone, then realized why Kasumi cried when he found her outside.

"Can't you all understand?! I don't want to do gymnastics anymore! Can't you just feel how much I've been holding on to my own pain to make sure I get treated as a normal girl instead of being hounded with expectations from everyone who meets me?!" Sumire cried out as her mind began rushing.

_Steal it..._

_You can always take over..._

_Don't sleep on your dream, Sumire. It'll never come true..._

Ren made his cautious approach towards Sumire, but the redhead suddenly backpedals herself.

"Sumi..."

"I hoped that you weren't like everyone else. All of you!" Sumire began to shed a lot of tears. "I guess I was wrong..."

Sumire then ran out of the store as Ren tried to follow her.

"Kasumi! Kasumi! Sumi!" He kept calling out before sighing deeply.

"What have we done?" Maruki muttered as everyone looked at each other uneasily.

Ren returned to the cafe with an upset expression. "What the hell happened?"

Shiho stepped forward. "Well, it happened earlier....."

_You don't need to pretend anymore, Sumire..._

_._

_._

_._

_... They really want Kasumi. No way they will pass up some hussy like you...._

_._

_._

_._

_.... Your dream of becoming a normal girl with a promising future at your own will is never gonna happen....._

_._

_._

_._

_..... Give up. Stop pretending......_

_._

_._

_._

_...... It's time to become Kasumi. Be the very person you admire and despise at the same time......._

_._

_._

_._

_....... Being Kasumi while staying as yourself was never a good idea, anyway..._

Sumire can only hear the voices in her head echo as she kept running.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tick tock, tick tock.... Sumire is now distrustful to the rest after what they said. Though be glad that the scholarship officer is no more by the end of this chapter.
> 
> Stay tuned for the next chapter.....


	18. Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Sumire is distraught when she hears that people are pressuring her again for gymnastics after everything she has done to live normally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is somewhat akin to a music video, considering the presence of the song in the otherwise short content.
> 
> Also, listen to the acoustic version of "Perfect" by Simple Plan as you read this.
> 
> Let's get it on..................................

Sumire stopped and took her breath in Shibuya after she felt betrayal from her 'friends'.

"I can't believe it.... I thought they were my friends..."

Sumire enters the train to Odaiba and covered her face to avoid anyone recognizing her. Upon arrival, she went to the Seaside Park and took a look at the sunset looming over the bridge.

"After everything I've done for them..." she muttered as she was about to drift to sleep on the bench.

Meanwhile, in LeBlanc...

"Only you can try talking to her at this point, Ren." Ann suggested.

"Why the hell didn't y'all talk about this on your phones?!" Ren was furious despite his crafty idea. "You know she works here part-time!"

"We said we're sorry!" Futaba exclaimed, but Sojiro was still disappointed.

"I can't believe I arrived midway into your explanation, and you brought up the fact about death by comatose when she eavesdropped on you all...." The old man then turned to Ren. "Look, I'll let you off for today if you'll be looking for her."

"You sure, Sojiro?"

"I'm damn sure about it." He said to Ren as he turned his eyes at everyone else while Ren exited the cafe.

Night fell already, and Sumire wakes up from her sleep. She then frowns sadly when she thought no one came after her to calm her down.

"I knew it." She sighed. "I should probably eat somewhere."

She got up and took a walk heading for a small teriyaki kiosk. Upon arrival, she calls for the chef and orders a medium chicken teriyaki bowl. While waiting for her order, she notices a young girl helping the chef in the cooking area.

"Daddy, look!" The girl called her father out as she carried the vegetables.

"Thanks, sweetie! Wanna help me out in giving the nice lady her food?"

"Mm-hmm!" The girl then pulled out a stool and stood on it as she carefully cooks the rice.

Sumire smiled at the sight of a father and daughter cooking together, but turns it upside down when they reminded her of a past memory. After being served her meal, she watches the father-daughter duo have a study session in the kitchen before leaving her payment and thanking them for their service. The chef then noticed she gave an extra 2,000 yen with a note: _For your daughter's school supplies._

Sumire's next stop happens to be Suidobashi, where she attempted to humor herself with a few games. Her attention was drawn towards a singing contest (hosted by Risette) as they declared a young high school girl from Kosei High the winner. She stuck around to hear the interview.

"Oh, my! So..." Risette began to interview her. "How does it feel to be the lovely songbird in tonight's contest?"

"Well, I felt nervous at first since this is my first competition." The girl answered. "But I couldn't have done it without my older sister!"

Risette then calls out the sister of the girl, which Sumire forced a smile.

"Thank you, sis! If it weren't for you helping me out in achieving our dream as singers like Risette, I would be really sad after you encouraged me to try out singing."

Sumire hears an _Awwwww_ sound from the crowd. She frowns immediately as the interview came to a close.

"Awww, does this mean your sister is a hero in a way?"

"Of course! She'll always be my hero!"

Sumire then walked away and proceeded to play some small games.

After Dome Town closed for the day, Sumire then decided to wander around the city on her own. She then remembered the earlier scenarios: the father and the daughter who supported each other as they do cooking for a living, and the two sisters who have a dream to become singers like Risette. She then plays a song on her phone as she makes her way into the dark streets of Tokyo. (Except Shibuya, since some stores are open 24/7)

_Hey, dad, look at me_

_Think back and talk to me_

_Did I grow up according to plan?_

_And do you think I'm wasting my time_

_Doing things I wanna do_

_But it hurts when you disapprove all along_

A memory of a 9-year-old Sumire baking cakes and cookies in the kitchen is shown as she tries to offer her father some during his birthday. Shinichi was quite upset that Sumire skipped gymnastics practice with Kasumi just to make him food until Kasumi surprised him by showing the results of her training. Shinichi congratulated his brunette daughter and decided to literally eat the cake and cookies while disregarding his redhead daughter's efforts in baking him something for his birthday. Sumire then retreats to her room while wearing the chef's hat with tears going down.

In the current time, Sumire looked at her reflection in front of a closed bakery as she stared at her younger self. She then continues to walk lonesomely.

_And now I try hard to make it_

_I just want to make you proud_

_I'm never gonna be good enough for you_

_I can't pretend that I'm alright_

_And you can't change me_

Another memory of Sumire, now 11 years old, trying her best to perform in gymnastics. Although she made it to the top 2 alongside Kasumi, Shinichi and Hanaki only called for a celebration in Kasumi's victory despite Sumire being the second placer. No later than a year later, Kasumi is seen with five gold medals as she is being well-praised by her family, friends, and relatives while Sumire stays in the kitchen baking the celebration cake with a frown.

Present Sumire then looks at the sky after hearing thunder roar.

"Just rain already..." She muttered.

_Coz we lost it all_

_Nothing lasts forever_

_I'm sorry I can't be perfect_

_Now it's just too late, and we can't go back_

_I'm sorry I can't be perfect_

Sumire stopped to check the time on her phone and then stays under the shade in anticipation of the rain. She then looks at the photos of her friends that she took over the course of her first 5 months in Tokyo.

_Do it already, Sumire...._

_You know how this ends, Sumire...._

_I try not to think about the pain I feel inside_

_Did you know you used to be my hero?_

_All the days you spend with me_

_Now seems so far away_

_And it feels like you don't care anymore_

Another memory of Sumire shows her being Kasumi's confidant in almost every event, from their first baseball match to Sumire learning how to cook from Kasumi to even dancing with her a lot in their room until the brunette started gymnastics at age 8. As the time went by, Kasumi gained more friends and fame while already disregarding Sumire's call for need towards her. And every time Kasumi does interact with Sumire, it's only during gymnastics where she can (obviously) outshine her and indirectly insult her pride or family reunions where the brunette is forced to get her twin, who is getting adamant in avoiding large gatherings not involving her.

Present day Sumire then looks at a pet store and sees puppies cuddling next to each other. She then surmised that the puppies were females as she gave a soft smile before making her way to a pedestrian lane.

_And now I try hard to make it_

_I just want to make you proud_

_I'm never gonna be good enough for you_

_I can't stand another fight_

_And nothing's alright_

Sumire then remembered the day she and Kasumi crashed. The day she finally vented her anger and expressed her depression.

And Kasumi DIDN'T take the hint.

_Give it up, Sumire. You'll always be the loser..._

_It must suck pretending to be someone you're not, right?_

_Coz we lost it all_

_Nothing lasts forever_

_I'm sorry, I can't be perfect_

_Now it's just too late, and we can't go back_

_I'm sorry, I can't be perfect_

Sumire felt the rain pour as she rushed to shelter. While the rain poured, she kept running and hiding until she arrives back in Ann's condominium. Noticing the door being locked, it meant that Ann hasn't arrived home yet.

"Well, what's to expect?" She unlocks the door and drags herself to her room with tears beginning to flow.

_Nothing's gonna change the things that you said_

_And nothing's gonna make this right again_

_Please don't turn your back_

_I can't believe it's hard just to talk to you_

_But you don't understand_

Several flashbacks of Sumire getting verbally bullied by Kasumi's friends, Kasumi herself insulting her moments before the crash, and the earlier incident where she eavesdropped on the scholarship office and in LeBlanc return to her head as she buried her face in her pillow.

_It's time, Sumire._

_Be the one who excels at all...._

_Be the one who is admired by all...._

_Even if the real Kasumi died, you can always live AS HER to keep her dream alive...._

_Remember, Sumire Yoshizawa is missing and no longer found...._

_Be Kasumi...._

"Be Kasumi..." Sumire muttered as she lifted her head up from the pillow with teary eyes. She then looked at the scissors on her table.

_Coz we lost it all_

_Nothing lasts forever_

_I'm sorry I can't be perfect_

Sumire goes to the bathroom and begins cutting her long hair. She then dyes it brown using Ann's hair dyes.

_Now it's just too late, and we can't go back_

_I'm sorry I can't be perfect_

She crushes her glasses, then gathered some of her stuff and began to wrap it in a trash bag.

_Coz we lost it all_

_Nothing lasts forever_

_I'm sorry I can't be perfect_

She then throws the bag down the chute. Afterwards, she puts on earrings and applied pink nail polish.

_Now it's just too late, and we can't go back_

_I'm sorry I can't be...._

"Perfect." ~~Sumire~~ **Kasumi** says with a smile on her face as she looked at herself in the mirror.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, no.....
> 
> Stay tuned for the next chapter, "Behold! The New Me"....


	19. Behold! The New Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> In a fit of depression, Sumire abandons herself and becomes Kasumi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah. I know. Sumire 'killed' herself to become Kasumi.
> 
> So her name will be crossed out a lot in this chapter. BUT I know it'll be tiring so it will only happen for this chapter only as a way of adjustment for everyone reading this. She'll come back to us soon.
> 
> With that said, let's roll!

Ann arrives back in her condominium after a long day of searching for ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi. Upon arrival, she noticed the door unlocked and tries to see if ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi arrived home. Much to her relief, she sees her shoes around and decides to jump straight to bed.

The next day, Ann wakes up to find ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi working out via yoga in the living room.

"Kasumi?"

"Yes?" The ~~redhead~~ brunette replied.

"Oh. You returned to your original hair color." Ann pointed out.

"Of course! As much as I love the color red, I can't show people how passionate I am with gymnastics." She said. "So to show my pride more, I shall return to my brown hair and make it known that red is weaker than brown."

Ann found the sudden attitude change amusing, but she still felt bad for yesterday.

"Um, about what you heard..."

"Oh, don't mind that. I decided it'd be pointless to hear apologies when people should be looking up to me for inspiration and hope." ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi said.

Ann blinked at her explanation. "But yesterday, you felt emotionally hurt!"

"And I've learned that it will completely affect me mentally if I should continue doing gymnastics." She then picks up the yoga mat and returns it to Ann's room. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have an enrollment period to finish up before I look for a trainer."

After she finished her hot chocolate and went for the shower, Ann began to ponder at the sudden attitude change.

"Did something happen.......?"

Upon returning to U.E.S., ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi felt a lot of eyes turning onto her as she puts on her headphones to void out the talk surrounding her. As she is enrolling, the financial officer then asked if she is willing to continue her proposed 90% discount from last semester or finally fully avail the scholarship. ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi opted the latter as her name is registered for the second semester. She then drops by the scholarship office to inform Chairman Noriyaki, but only to find Mr. Narukami in his seat.

"Um, hello!" She greeted.

"Good morning. How can I help you?" He greeted as he offered ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi a seat.

"Well, I was about to inform the chairman here regarding my scholarship and-"

Narukami raised his hand. "No need to worry. Your scholarship is still fully functional, as we speak. Chairman Noriyaki is... turned over already, so I'm taking his spot as interim scholarship officer for now."

The ~~redhead~~ brunette then stood up and bowed. "Thank you so much!"

Narukami then gave her a smile as she left. He then checked her profile after pulling it off the cabinet.

"It's amazing that you dodged the media that much." He then kept the profile back.

~~Sumire~~ Kasumi then spent the latter half of the morning and the first half of the afternoon looking for a trainer. But sadly, no one was free on the list as she sighed.

"Come on.... at least one of you dipshits is available!" She hissed as she bumped into someone. "Ah, my apologies!"

The person then stood up and pats off the dirt on his coat. "No, it's okay. I should be the one apologizing since I was so busy spacing out while I was making my way to Central Street."

"N-No, I should be the one to apologize! I wasn't focused on the way since I'm not feeling well."

The person then tapped his chin and had an idea. "Would you like to have a short snack with me?"

Before ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi could answer, her stomach growled noisily.

"Sorry." She winced in embarrassment. "I guess your snack could be my lunch for now."

The person chuckled. "Whatever works for you, Miss...?"

"Kasumi. Kasumi Yoshizawa. You know, the world-famous teen gymnast? Come on, don't tell me you don't know me."

The person chuckled again at her bragging. "My apologies. I spaced out again." He then extends his hand. "Goro Akechi, at your service."

The two then went to Ore no Beko for some beef bowls. To Akechi's surprise, she ordered 5 large barbecue bowls and insisted that she pays for it all.

"That seems a bit much." He gawked at the 5 bowls in front of her.

"Thank you for the food!" She cheerfully exclaimed as she began chowing down on her food. Akechi couldn't even begin eating his medium curry bowl as his companion finished in less than 15 minutes.

"What?" ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi looked at him.

"Oh, uh, nothing! It's just that... I'm actually amazed by how you finished the food in 15 minutes." He blurted out. The employees agreed with him.

"Even I have to side with the Detective Prince for that."

 ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi's eyes widened. "Wait, you're THE Detective Prince!?" She then stared at her reflection on her phone. "I'm so sorry for eating like a pig in front of you!"

Akechi chuckled again and shook his head. "No need to apologize. I do have a friend who eats a lot worse than you, so I'm fine."

She groaned as she asked for two large bottles of water, baffling Akechi again.

"So what brings you here to Tokyo, Yoshizawa-san?"

 ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi replied, "I came here to do my schooling in the University of East Shinjuku as a Culinary student, but that's only for the sake of having a degree."

"You have no plans on committing for a non-athletic future?"

"Nope! Gymnastics has given me a boost in life since I started it, and I couldn't be happier when everyone recognizes me for my wonderful talent and alluring beauty!"

Akechi once again chuckled at her bragging. "Well, if you are bragging about your achievements, then I would like to-"

_Oh, my God! It's Akechi!_

_For real?! He's here!_

_HE WON'T ESCAPE THIS TIME!_

"How unfortunate." He mumbled.

_Wait a second, is that Kasumi Yoshizawa?_

_The gymnast who schools in East Shinjuku? Why is she with him!?_

_You think she and Amamiya broke up?_

_Uh, bro. For the record, she was never with Amamiya._

~~Sumire~~ Kasumi then did something risky and pulled Akechi for a deep kiss to ward off his fans. After pulling away her lips, Akechi just stared blankly at her.

"I-"

"Want more?"

Akechi was left speechless as ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi chuckled at his increasing blush. After paying for the meal, she then realized that she still has work to do in LeBlanc.

"LeBlanc, you say?"

"Yeah! I work there with my lover and his surrogate sister, if only she learned how to be decent towards strangers instead of going informal in her approach."

Akechi then looked at his watch and glanced back at her. "I wouldn't mind some coffee now..."

"Alright then!" She clapped her hands as they took a train to Yongen-Jaya.

Meanwhile, in LeBlanc, Ann gathered everyone to try to explain to them about ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi's sudden change of attitude after yesterday's incident. With Ren out with Dr. Maruki in their appointment again in the asylum (and which they cannot cancel, for some reason), Shiho was in charge of the shop. However...

"How come Dad put you in charge!?" Futaba complained. "You don't even work here!"

"To be fair, Futaba," The ravenette girl began, "my little accident was an indirect cause to her breakdown."

Ryuji sighed. "I'm glad that I was given a day off by Kanji-san. So..."

Ann cleared her throat. "So this morning, Kasumi was using my yoga mat for her training. And the way she spoke was a bit arrogant in its tone."

"What do you mean by that?" Yusuke inquired further.

"Well, she said that our words yesterday were meaningless if someone like her wouldn't become an inspiration."

Shiho leaned forward onto the counter and clicked her tongue. "As if she wasn't already. But how arrogant, you say?"

"Like higher than Mika's kind of arrogance."

Everyone stayed quiet until the bell rang. Before anyone could react, the person who entered immediately slapped Shiho in the ass. This obviously got her blushing as she turned to find out who.

"Damn, you got cute buns when you lean forward like that, Shiho-san!" Kasumi teased as she yanked an apron from its hiding spot and made her way behind the counter. "I recommend you don't point it in front of men, if ya know what's good for ya."

"Kasumi!?" Futaba was shocked to see her brown hair.

"Oh, yeah. That too." Ann remembered. Speaking of which...

"Hey, where's Ren?"

Ryuji furrowed his brows after hearing ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi say Ren's name without an honorific.

"The hell? No more "Senpai" after that?"

"Why the hell would I still use the honorific when he and I are already pure lovers made from heaven?" She gave a playful wink as she glanced at Ryuji, making Makoto a bit upset.

"Kasumi-chan, I recommend you don't flirt with my boyfriend."

"Aw, you're no fun. I was wondering if you wanted to join me in working out for my gymnastics." She then continued looking at Ryuji. "I heard he likes flexible ladies."

Futaba, Ann, and Yusuke spat their drinks after hearing it. Ryuji stood up and yelled from the top of his lungs.

"I NEVER TOLD YOU MY FETISH! HOW THE FUCK DID YOU KNOW?!"

Little did the blonde monkey know, she just messed with him to piss Makoto off. "Busted."

Makoto glared at Ryuji and dragged him up to the attic. Even ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi doesn't know why.

"Um, she's not gonna try pegging him, is she?"

Shiho stayed quiet and examined the ~~former~~ gymnast as the doorbell rang again.

"I appreciate you flashing your butt at me, Suzui, but we already established this years ago."

Shiho groaned at the sound of Akechi's voice. "Long time no see, too. But I guess you can go kiss my ass for it, if you like."

Akechi chuckled and looked at everyone. "Long time no see as well, everyone."

Suddenly, sounds of Ryuji crying in pain were heard. Awkward air began to tension around them as ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi finished brewing the coffee for Akechi.

"Uh, even I don't know what's happening." She admitted. "One thing, I took a guess at his fetish. The next thing, he sounds like he's getting too much cock-and-ball torture."

Haru blushed intensely at the ~~redhead~~ brunette's words and immediately left the cafe. Futaba followed her after her mind was overrun with more innuendos and direct sexual assumptions by ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi. Yusuke was next after Ryuji came down holding his balls while grimacing in pain. Makoto trailed behind them and whispered something that made her boyfriend shiver. When Ann and Shiho didn't notice Akechi for a split second, Makoto gave a quick kiss to the detective and sped off.

"So... are you two leaving as well?" Akechi asked the two best friends.

"Uh, she is living with me. And she forgot her own copy of the condo's keys." Ann swung her fellow renter's copy of the keys.

"Oh, shit! I so forgot about this. Thanks, Ann-san!" ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi chimed as she finished brewing her coffee.

As soon as Akechi sipped his coffee, he began looking at the girls.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked curiously as the doorbell chimed again. This time, it was Ren.

"Hey, g-" He stopped to see ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi behind the counter. "Kasumi?"

"Yes, my darling?"

Now Akechi choked on his coffee, snapping her back to what she was supposed to do.

"I'm sorry, Akechi-san!" She gave one bow and grabbed a cloth.

"It's fine... though I suppose you could make a better brew?" As much as he tried to say it nicely, Akechi will always give out sugarcoated insults. ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi pouted after hearing this.

"Do you really have to say I suck in brewing coffee?"

"Not at all." Akechi then turned to Ren. "Are you hear for Yoshizawa-san or perhaps rehabilitating these two?"

"Fuck off, Akechi!" Both Ann and Shiho scowled in unison.

"Come on, Ren! Help me out here before I plan on poisoning Akechi." Now it was the detective's turn to be off-guard with her insults.

Ann and Shiho volunteered to clean up whatever happened to the attic. Before Ren could ask, Akechi and ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi gave him looks that says 'Don't bother'. As the three were left downstairs, Akechi decided to open something up.

"So how did you two meet?"

Ren then started talking about how they met on a dating app and shared a few stuff about themselves. When he heard about the Yoshizawa twins' accident a few weeks later, he was worried if something bad happened to them. He then said he was glad that ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi is alright while ~~Kasumi~~ Sumire is in a coma. ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi then continued by talking about how Ren brought her to Inokashira Park, the Jazz Jin, Ginza, and a few other places while making it look romantic.

"It seems you two click." Akechi finished his coffee. "I'm afraid that Suzui, Takamaki, and I were just wheeling."

 ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi then notices the girls descending from the stairs and then spoke loudly.

"Hey, ladies!"

"Yes, Kasumi-chan?"

"Akechi says he wants a three-way with you two."

"WHAT?!"

"THE HELL!?"

Akechi's eyes widened as he glared at the girl behind the counter. "I said no such thing!"

Ren then played along. "You kinda did. You were just unaware of what you said."

"Why, you little-"

Shiho rolled her sleeves up. "I'll show you a three-way, alright..."

Akechi sighed and raised his hand. "No need. It's only a simple misunderstanding." He then looked at ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi. "You wouldn't mind hanging with me again some other time, yes?"

"Only if I bring my boyfriend."

Ann has had enough and pointed a finger at her. "You two aren't even official yet!"

 ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi then walked up to Ren and gave him a deep, passionate kiss. Right in front of Shiho, Akechi, and Ann herself. Ren initially was surprised, but then immersed himself to the soft feeling that his lips were feeling. ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi pulled away and gave a smug grin. "We are now."

"That seems a bit much." Akechi stood with his jaw dropped.

"I, uh...." Ann was left speechless as Shiho turned completely red.

"Bringing back old memories, Shiho-san?" She cooed at the blushing ravenette, whereas her beloved frizzy-haired boy looked down in awkwardness. "Or could it be your memories, Ann-san?"

The two girls then pulled Akechi out of the cafe.

"You want a three-way? I'll get ya a three-way- and not the sexual kind!" Ann roared outside of the cafe as Shiho then shouted something about Shinjuku.

"That was bold of you." Ren gave a worried look.

"Oh, hush it. I only want to be with you today, Ren." ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi jabbed her finger to his chest softly before drawing a heart on it. "After all, the others were being harsh and mean to me yesterday."

Ren then embraced her, causing her eyes to widen with delight.

"I was worried about you. Shiho told me you had a breakdown, but then look at you now! A-Okay!"

"Mm-hmm! Kasumi Yoshizawa never gets too emotional!" She flashed a toothy smile.

Ren then leaned his head forward to kiss her passionately again. Though this intimate moment was short-lived.

"EWWWWW!!!!"

The two broke off their kiss and see Futaba shocked and running away.

"SOJIROOOOO!!!! YOUR EMPLOYEES ARE KISSING DURING WORK HOURS!!!!"

Ren chuckled nervously while ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi blushed.

"Shall we head somewhere?" she asked with a smile. He smiled back and said, "Wherever you like, sweetie."

Later on in the evening, Ren and ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi were training alone in Inokashira Park. Ryuji and Shiho were informed as well, but it looked like they're running late. The moment the two former athletes arrived, the ~~redhead~~ brunette began scolding them for being late and gave them stationary jogging punishment.

"Rather harsh, dontcha think?" Ren whispered as she looked at him with a serious face.

"Once I say we are having practice on time, I will not tolerate tardiness. Because when you're late, it means you got distracted by something before realizing the time." She turned to the two. "AM I RIGHT OR NOT!?"

Shiho and Ryuji impulsively saluted her while jogging. Ren laughed and told them he'll buy them drinks and ice to compensate, however ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi told him to buy after they have shown their 'dedication' to finish the workout. The moment everything was done, Shiho and Ryuji dropped to the ground hurting. Ryuji immediately passed out while Shiho kept banging her head on the ground to avoid passing out.

"Did I go too far, Ren?" ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi asked as she loomed over the two.

"I think so." Ren sighed. "Come on. Let's go buy them some drinks and probably ice as well."

"Yeah."

As Ren and ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi left the park, Shiho then got up and watched them walk away with a worrisome look.

"What happened to you, Kasumi?" She muttered as she looks at her phone to see a wallpaper of her and ~~Sumire~~ Kasumi smiling.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**BONUS ART: Concept of Sumire with brown hair**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sumire: Master Chef, Bookworm, Pragmatic, Shy and Adorable Tomato  
> Kasumi: Olympian, Mega Flirt, Perfectionist, Bold and Cocky Jester
> 
> Shiho is now worried than ever. Akechi found interest and delight in his new friend. Ren is a bit proud on his love interest's sudden rebound over the hurt she felt. Ann opts to keep an eye for more changes.
> 
> Stay tuned for the next chapter, "Screw the Books and Hit the Gym" as Sumire/Kasumi treks around the first few weeks of college with her new self.


	20. Screw the Books and Hit the Gym

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Kasumi shows up to show everyone her resolve and begins to flirt around with Ren and Akechi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thus, begins the second half of this story.
> 
> I know I'm posting ahead of schedule, but I do have an announcement to make.
> 
> I'm gonna be taking a week-long break. I'm just not feeling well lately with my personal life and it is affecting my focus in writing both this fic and The War That Ends The World. I hope y'all would be alright with me being MIA for a week.
> 
> For now, you can have this chapter (which I save in the draft since Monday) and get on with the story. I would still endorse the other fic I'm working, but I dunno if I should with how I'm feeling.
> 
> With that said, enjoy...

The second semester has begun, and once again Kasumi is the talk of the town. However, due to the mandated rule created by Mitsuru Kirijo in regards to the rumor mill, no one is allowed to make mockery out of those who were threatened by the former scholarship officer during the previous semester. Anyone caught doing so will be punished by Yu Narukami, the interim scholarship officer, before referring the offender to the student affairs office.

"Huh. So far, so good." She just shrugged off the sudden change of atmosphere as she pranced her way to her classroom, where Kawakami was actually waiting for her.

"Yoshizawa-san."

"Kawakami-sama."

Kawakami wants to try and ease her after the rumor about her supposed expulsion went rampant, but Kasumi figured it out and spoke.

"If this is about what happened with the old commissioner, don't worry about it. I decided to consider it as a nuisance to my scholarship stance and I happily express my thoughts on him out of that seat."

Kawakami was shocked at what she heard and then asked her carefully as her classmates began to enter the room. "Well, what do you think about Chairman Noriyaki's plan to abolish the scholarship program if he didn't get results?"

"Guy must be busy fucking his cat or something because his wife left him for someone better and bigger."

Everyone in the classroom whipped their heads at the sound of Kasumi's vulgarity.

_You heard what Yoshizawa said?_

_Dude, no one had the balls to talk about Mr. Noriyaki like that._

_Even so, she WAS the number one target by him._

_Glad that old fart is gone._

Kasumi smirked and looked back at Kawakami. "So, what's on today's menu? I really gotta hurry so I can find a trainer for the competition this December."

Kawakami looked dumbfounded for a sec until realizing what she meant.

"Oh, right. December... WAIT, I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE!"

Kasumi jolted to her seat as she eagerly waited for the announcement.

"Alright, everyone! The Hotel and Restaurant Management Department is holding a Selective Specialty contest where you and a student from another course will be working together for not only your best dish but also your grade. We will be having a special panel of judges for the tasting, so I want you all to pay attention to my classes a......"

As Kawakami continued, Kasumi began daydreaming about her and Ren cooking something in the kitchen together. Then Ren began teasing her as she fought back before the two began making out like crazy. As she daydreamed, Kawakami noticed her facial expression and decided to remain quiet about it for now. Afterwards, she began doing a discussion about exotic meats used in cooking. She expressed her interest in crocodile meat while heavily feeling disgusted when some countries resort to eating dogs and cats. Kasumi immediately snapped out at the sounds of it and began writing something in her notebook. One of her classmates attempted to throw a paper ball at her only for the brunette to swiftly dodge it and alerting Kawakami of her classmate's habits. As soon as the bell rang for the next period, Kasumi bolted out and looked for Ren.

"What has happened to you, Yoshizawa-san?" She muttered before giving a small smile. "Well, I guess she has to keep herself happy after what Noriyaki did."

"Oh, Reeeeeeeen?" Kasumi tapped at the door of his classroom to see him writing in his notebook.

"Oh, Kasumi." He smiled. "Well, come on in."

"Sure!" She made her way to his classroom while a few of his classmates began eyeing him. She noticed them and glared back. "The fuck you punks staring at my boyfriend for?"

_Sheesh, Amamiya and Yoshizawa? Match made in hell._

_Nah, dude. Purgatory._

_Speaking of Purgatory, you think their dance last week was based on that Yellow Breeze anime?_

_Who knows? But I didn't expect Suzui or Ann Takamaki to join them._

"Tch. Losers." Kasumi blew a strand of hair off her face as she looked at Ren. "So what should we do today after class?"

"Um, didn't you text me last night to help you look for a trainer?" He reminded her.

"Oh, right! I forgot about that!"

Ren then saw his phone flash a notification. It was a message from Kawakami.

_"Amamiya-kun, please remind Yoshizawa about the cooking contest as well as her prelims next week."_

"WHAT!?" Kasumi abruptly stood up in shock. "NEXT WEEK!?"

"Well.... I guess what we're gonna do today is gonna be part of your plan for next week." He attempted to cheer her up, but she smacked his head.

"Not helping!" She groaned, "Now what am I gonna do?"

Ren then began to think of some ideas before Shiho knocked on the door.

"Knock, knock!"

_Hey, it's Suzui!_

_Ya think she has the moves despite her knee?_

_Bruh, I totally did not recognize her with her hair down in that video._

_Got a copy of the vid?_

Shiho rolled her eyes in annoyance as she made her way to them.

"That video is still up, you know." She teased Ren.

"Ugh, don't talk about it. Please." He begged Shiho to stop while Kasumi looked at Youtube for the video.

"Ugh, why the hell is my hair red here?" She scrunched her face before exiting the app. "I swear, I must have been high on weed or whatever you guys gave me."

Ren tensed up when everyone heard Kasumi, but Shiho told them to fuck off before hissing at Kasumi.

"The hell is wrong with you!?"

"Hey, you're the one who started it!" Kasumi jabbed her finger at Shiho, who is doing her best to keep herself calm.

"Ren, kindly tell your 'girlfriend' to mind her own business while I leave?" Shiho gritted her teeth while saying this.

"Shiho, I-"

Before he could finish, Kasumi tugs his arm. "Hey! If Shiho wants to go, she has to go! Besides, we still gotta find a trainer later, and Shiho-san will be helping."

"Wait, what?"

Ren then told Shiho about the prelims that is going to happen next week. Shiho shrugged and gave out her suggestion.

"Kasumi, mind if we can call the gang around to help you find one? There are literally 321 trainers in Tokyo alone, so we should work together as a team."

Kasumi then hummed in thought before speaking. "As long as Ren and I are partnered."

"You're quite clingy today." He said in a deadpan manner.

"I'm not letting any dirty hussies get you while my eyes are not on you." She squinted her eyes and pouted.

Shiho sighed as she pulls Kasumi away. "You and I have classes to go to. Say bye-bye to your 'boyfriend' for now and see him again after school."

"Bye, Ren-Ren! Mwah!" She blew a kiss to Ren as he caught it and stuck it to his chest, making her squeal with joy. Ren then turns around to see his classmates gawking at him with bewilderment.

"What? Is it wrong for her to squeal like that?"

By the time it was classes for Kasumi under Haru, she began to yawn and doodled at the back of her notebook. Haru took notice and called her out.

"Yoshizawa-san."

"Yes, Okumura-sama?"

Haru sighed. "Is it possible for chocolates to relieve you from stress or anger?"

Kasumi stood for a bit before answering. "Uh, yeah! Yeah, it does."

"Are you certain with your answer?"

"Of course I am! I am a genius after all!" She bragged in front of the class.

Haru then felt her phone vibrate and excused herself. After a few minutes, she then sped up the discussion and dismissed the class. However, she stops Kasumi from going out.

"Kasumi-chan, do you mind if we can chat for a bit?" She asked.

"About what, Okumura-sama?"

"About... last week. When you heard us talk behind your back and such." She looked down in shame.

"Oh, just forget about it. You guys were right, actually. I really need to get back in tip-top shape to win the competition and push further with my goal." She reassured her, but it didn't help.

"Oh, okay. But if you have the time, would you mind helping me out with my future business as well?"

"Sure thing. But after the prelims." Kasumi then bowed and excused herself to find Ren again. Haru sighed deeply with downcast eyes.

"I hope you weren't bothered by what they said."

Ren, Shiho, and Kasumi met up with Ann, Ryuji, Yusuke, and Futaba in Shibuya as they discussed about the availability of trainers in Tokyo while dining in Bikkuri Boy.

"Trainer # 269: Kou Ichijo. Specialty: Basketball and soccer. PASS!" Futaba groaned as they took turns in saying the names of the trainers.

"Trainer # 270: Omae Mishaka. Specialty: Swimming. PASS!" Ryuji groaned as well.

"I wouldn't mind Ren here teaching me how to swim though." Kasumi flirted, but Ren countered it and made her pout.

"I probably should get swimming lessons, if that'll be the case."

Ann snickered while Yusuke read the next one. "Trainer #271: Chie Satonaka. Specialty: Martial Arts, Endurance and Intensity, and Arnis. I believe we shall pass."

Shiho sighed deeply. "We're close to 321 and we haven't found any trainer."

Ann then read the next. "Trainer #272: Chisako Hiraguchi. Specialty: Gymnastics and ac-"

"Coach is here!?" Kasumi was shocked, but everyone is more shocked.

"Uh, you know her?" Shiho furrowed her brows.

"Duh, I know her! She trained me and my sister before the....." Kasumi trailed off for a bit. "..... accident that placed Sumire in a coma."

"Ohhhh.... I'm sorry, Kasumi-chan." Ann apologized as she continued. "Acrobatics. Currently unavailable."

Yusuke then pointed out something unusual. "Funny. She changed her status thirty seconds ago."

Ren then spoke up. "That's because I already booked her an appointment with Sumi here. Not bad for a reunion, right?"

Kasumi began to hug Ren tight and kiss him in the cheek. "Thank you so much, Ren! Where's the venue?"

"She has her own studio near Akihabara, but it'll be an hour until she starts the evening trainings."

"Then let's get going!" Kasumi pushed Ren off the chairs and pulled him to the exit.

"Hey, slow down! Sweetie, wait!"

"Kasumi-chan sure is trying to cheer herself up." Ann surmised.

"And quite drastic in its occurrence as well." Yusuke added.

"And not too long ago, you fuckwads suggested on pressuring her again." Shiho pointed a finger at Futaba and Yusuke.

"But at least she shrugged it off to focus on that? Then maybe she can lay low and live life normally after."

"I wouldn't say that." Ryuji muttered. "When you're an athlete, majority of your life will be dependent on the sport. If you leave too early, you will be having a difficulty adjusting to a job that does not suit your style."

Shiho sighed as she stood up. "Well, I gotta head home and change. The kids' tournament is up and as their coach, I ain't gunning for the bronze."

"Bye, Shiho! Stay safe!" Ann waved her best friend farewell as she then eyed Yusuke and Futaba. "What are you two up to?"

"After what I said about her sister having the chance to die in a coma, I had to keep getting updated with the news. I get that Kasumi is being mentioned more in the articles, but now I feel bad for her sister." Futaba expressed her guilt.

"True. Majority of the people she has met kept on saying she was in the hospital recovering from the injuries and coma. Had the media used Sumire Yoshizawa instead of Kasumi Yoshizawa, no one will bat an eye and find it uninteresting to be a headline." Yusuke mentioned his insights.

Ryuji slammed his fist in the table. "This is bullshit."

"I know, Ryuji." Ann pats his back. "I know."

Ren and Kasumi arrive in Akihabara as they approach the studio. But before anything can happen, Ren gets a sudden call from Maruki.

"Ren here."

_"Hey, Ren. Mind if you can drop by Asakusa? The warden of the asylum wants to meet us regarding our research."_

"Oh, okay. No worries. I'll be there in less than 30 minutes."

After hanging up, Kasumi looked at Ren with puppy eyes.

"You're gonna leave me, baby?"

Ren kissed her forehead as he told her that it's about his research. Luckily, Kasumi understands and kisses him in the lips.

"Good luck." She whispered as he makes his way to the train station. Upon entering the studio, she began to look at the studio with awe. She then sees a wall with a painting of herself(?) performing her signature move, Blossoming Scarlet. She smiles, but finds something off about it as she hears the door open.

"Good evening, Miss..... Kasumi?"

"Hi, Coach!" Kasumi greeted her with a huge grin.

Hiraguchi, on the other hand, was appalled at the sight of Kasumi. "You're here?! How? And why?"

Kasumi then approached Hiraguchi and spoke in a low voice. "Don't believe what the media tells you. Also, I advice you do not mention this to my parents. We had an argument about me and my schooling here in Tokyo, so I made sure I fend for myself."

"I.... I see. But how's Sumire?"

"In critical condition. Truth be told, she is the one in a coma and not me." Kasumi blatantly said.

"Oh, okay then. Well, I hope none of your injuries will be hindering you for a bit. So let's start with some stretches..."

For the next thirty-five minutes, Kasumi performed stretching exercises and tested her flexibility. Hiraguchi was impressed and began to ask her a few questions.

"So how is life in Tokyo?"

"Pretty much alright. I met a few friends, but sometimes they can be tiring whenever they keep asking for my help."

"Why?"

"They keep having problems that rely too much on people. If they don't know how to deal with their own problems without the need of others, then they will be lost in their future."

Hiraguchi then went on to ask another question.

"Which school are you currently studying?"

"University of East Shinjuku."

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"It's nothing."

Kasumi shrugged as she then waited for her next task. Hiraguchi then pulls out two ribbons from her gym bag, and to her surprise...

"You picked the blue ribbon?"

"I want to try something new." Kasumi turned to the painting. "This move of mine... The Blossoming Scarlet... this is something that a rookie would do."

"So what are you suggesting?" Hiraguchi crossed her arms.

"I wanna do a new move that can make myself known more as a professional all-star!"

Hiraguchi then noticed something off.

_Want to? Odd. You always say 'will', not 'want'._

Kasumi then began her starting position and raised the ribbon above her head.

"I've been practicing this for months, Coach. I hope I am not letting you down so far."

"Go ahead."

Kasumi then danced around and spun the ribbon like a tornado. She then spun her body slowly but stylishly while Hiraguchi was looking at her with an impressed look.

"That's quite an interesting turn of events." She muttered. "Kasumi, it looked like you've changed your style...."

Kasumi then made a daring backflip sequence while tossing the spinning ribbon in the air like a top and catching it in mid-air. Hiraguchi's eyes widened as Kasumi posed upon landing.

"Holy shit. Kasumi, that was incredible!" The trainer clapped her hands.

"T-Thank you, Coach."

Hiraguchi noticed the blush and gave a mischievous grin. "Is there a reason on the sudden change of style?"

"I, uh, well.... you see...."

"Actually, the person who booked an appointment was Ren Amamiya." Hiraguchi pointed out. "You two are close, yeah?"

"Oh, we're VERY close. In fact, we're dating!" Kasumi said with confidence, but the blush still won't go away.

"Whatever happened to the other guy? The one who was in charge of your high school soccer club?"

"We broke up. He wasn't treating me well, anyway. But Ren.... Ren's different." Kasumi sighed with a smile while Hiraguchi laughed.

"I take it he booked it after the supposed prelims in U.E.S.?"

"How did you know?!"

Hiraguchi grinned. "Not gonna tell. Not yet, at least."

Kasumi pouted before shaking her head with a smile. "Well-played, Coach."

For the next few days, Kasumi would be absent in some of her classes just to train herself or head for the gym with Hiraguchi. Although most of her teachers were fine with this and lets it slide, Haru grew more worried. After dismissing her class, she goes to Maruki's office.

"Come in!" Maruki said after he heard the knocks. "Oh, Okumura-san!"

"Hello, Dr. Maruki. Um..." She warily looked around her surroundings. "Is now a bad time?"

"No, not really. I just came from a call with Rumi in regards to something."

Haru gave a smile. "I'm glad you and Rumi-san are already making amends."

"... Yeah. Well, have a seat."

Haru then sat down as Maruki flipped his door sign. "So what is you want to talk about?"

Haru hesitated a bit before speaking. "It's about Kasumi-chan."

"Oh...." Maruki knew that this would be brought up. "I had a feeling you were gonna talk about that."

"She began to daydream in the middle of class, and although she would answer the questions correctly, she would excuse herself 20 minutes before class ends to start her training." Haru sighed deeply. "I don't want to be harsh on Kasumi-chan, but did we really hurt her this much that she decided to turn over a new leaf immediately?"

Maruki went into his train of thought and began to think of a plausible reason for Kasumi's sudden change of behavior. But for some reason, he began to wonder how Kasumi managed to get over an emotional wreck in just a matter of hours. Before he could answer her question, she follows it up with something else.

"Also..."

"Hmm?"

"She promised to help me in regards of my business troubles. I just hope she doesn't see us in a bad way after what happened."

Maruki can only look down in sadness. "Yeah....."

Two days before the prelims, and Kasumi just finished training with Hiraguchi.

"Well done, Kasumi. Though you lack the boldness you once possessed, you managed to bounce back by using another gymnastic style." Hiraguchi applauded.

Before Kasumi can respond, the door swings open as Ren enters the place.

"Oh, am I interrupting?"

Hiraguchi grinned wide. "My, my. You got yourself a better guy, alright."

"C-Coach!" Kasumi blushed as the older woman laughed.

"Relax, I was just messing with you." She then turned to Ren. "So you're the infamous Ren Amamiya."

Ren sighed at the recognition. "Can anyone not know me for miraculously exposing Shido and his corruption?"

"What can I say? You did this single-handedly."

Ren then looked at Kasumi with a smile. "I promised you a date before the competition, didn't I?"

The brunette nods furiously. "O-Of course! Shall we get going?"

After Kasumi and Ren bade farewell to Hiraguchi, the trainer remained in the studio and began cleaning up when she notices a printed photograph. It was a photo of ****** with Shiho, Ren, Yusuke, Ryuji, Ann, Futaba, Makoto, and Haru on the day they gathered around in LeBlanc.

"Funny. So she pretended to be Sumire this whole time? Clever way of fooling the media, Kasumi."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know everyone except Akechi is clueless about her identity, but lemme tell you that one more person is looking into her. So Imma let you figure out who it is as the story goes on, but don't ask me since I ain't tellin'.
> 
> With the prelims happening after their date, can KSausmuimrie (Yes, I did this intentionally) nab the qualifier for the December competition?
> 
> Stay tuned for "The Dazzling Violet" as she tries to use her new style in gymnastics! (When I return, of course)


	21. The Dazzling Violet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Kasumi begins to slack off in class and reunites with her former coach as she trains for the preliminary qualifier in the school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early upload of new chapter here! I'm back! I guess I just need a few days to recharge, revitalize, and realize a few few things.
> 
> So I'm planning on making another fic after this, but instead I'll just make it after the end of The War That Ends The World to avoid reader's interest confusion. (I mean, it worked with The Epilogue Files while this fic was at its baby steps. But having two full stories documented at the same time is a different story, apparently.)
> 
> Once again, advertising The War That Ends The World here and all. (Sorry if I'm a bit annoying for this already.)
> 
> Anyways, on with the story!

As Ren and Kasumi reach Shinjuku's Cult 9 Theatre, they find the place packed as the release of the new movie, "My Truth in the Spring", is now at its first day. Kasumi then read the movie's description.

"Two teenagers with the passion for music join forces to create the best masterpiece before the Winter Music Festival."

Ren then looked at the characters' expressions. "They look so passionate in their actions, but their eyes tell a different story."

"You think so?" She then noticed a couple of people looking at them. "Come on, Ren. We gotta watch it before the tickets get sold out."

As the two finished buying their tickets, they see the previous batch of viewers exiting the cinema with some of them crying and showing sad faces.

"Ren?"

"I don't know either. But if the movie is that sad, my shoulder is always here for you." He spoke with a smug grin.

Kasumi returned the grin and looked at him in the eye. "Not before you do the crying..."

.

.

.

... Eventually, Kasumi felt the emotion of the story when they reached the part where the leading lady, Harumi Miyamoto, was diagnosed with a chronic case of leukemia and is estimated to perish on the day of the Music Festival. The leading man, Aoi Hirose, began to break down when he heard about the news. However, Harumi promised to perform with him one last time before giving up the ghost. On the day of their presentation, Harumi held her strength with all her might until they finished performing. Collapsing backstage, Aoi rushes her to the hospital on his bike as the snow cleared up to show a starry sky.

_"Look! The stars!"_

_"I know, Harumi. You'll see more of them soon when we get you to the hospital..."_

_"Aoi, it's okay."_

_"It's not! I lost my mom already, and no way I'm losing you!"_

_"Aoi, do you remember the reason why we composed that song together?"_

_"H-Harumi?"_

_"There is a saying that, 'When one has the musician's ear, they can tell the message of the composition being played.' Aoi, what did you hear when we played it tonight?"_

_"I.... I heard beauty. Like a calm wind blowing onto me with forcing anything off of me. Like birds giving a beautiful melody when the morning sun rises to greet us good morning. Like-"_

_"Someone eager to say 'I love you' to the ones he or she cares about?"_

_"Yeah. Wait, why are you-"_

_"I love you, Aoi Hirose. And I know you'll ask about me and Jun. I lied."_

_"Wha-"_

_"I lied about wanting you to introduce me to him. I lied about how good-looking he was. I lied about us hanging out for the sake of the music festival. Damnit, I-"_

_"Harumi! Hang in there!"_

_"I... I lied about everything... just to know you more...."_

Kasumi felt lightheaded, but ignored it as she was close to tearing up at the scene. She finally cried when Harumi died on arrival, breaking Aoi's heart.

_"What do you mean she's dead?!"_

_"We're sorry, Hirose-kun. But we were too late to supply her enough antigens and blood."_

_"No..... It can't be. IT CAN'T BE!"_

_"Hirose-kun, stop!"_

_"I can't lose her too! Please, do something!"_

_..._

_..._

_"Ha-Harumi.... I'm sorry....."_

Ren hugged Kasumi as the scene switched to a springtime setting.

_"Spring.... A time where the flowers bloom as the rain begins to shower us more. A time where we feel the wonderful breeze and the ray of sun blessing us a beautiful day....."_

_".... a time which, for the first time, I will spend without you. I never thought anyone would have what it takes to open my heart once again. But you... you had your wonders, Harumi Miyamoto. I know that I have to end up with Yurika now and all since we witnessed her confess to me and stuff...... but please... Please know..."_

_"That you will forever be the one in my heart, Harumi. And I will never forget that beautiful voice of yours...."_

The movie ends and, as Ren expected, Kasumi cried alongside a few others who watched. Ren then brought her to a place where she can calm down.

"Kasumi?"

She sniffed and wept a bit. "I... I feel distraught. Like, how come she had to die for their dream to work?"

Ren then gave her an honest answer. "Honestly, I don't know either. But it was mere coincidence that her illness aligned with the festival, and she took that moment to live life to her fullest by doing what she loved."

Kasumi then buried her face in his chest.

"Y-You won't leave me like that, right?"

Ren hugged her tightly and rubbed her back. "Never. As long as you do the same."

Kasumi smiled at those words, but the mere words of the actress in the film kept echoing in her head.

_I lied about everything... just to know you more..._

The day of the prelims qualifier has arrived, and to Kasumi's surprise, she is competing against 10 other gymnasts from U.E.S. alone.

"This is unexpected." She muttered as she sees the other contestants glaring at her and calling her names. She then sees Shiho, Ren, Maruki, and Haru in the bleachers while Kawakami approached her for a bit.

"Good luck out there, Yoshizawa!" She gave a cheery blessing before shifting her tone and face. "But you still have to participate in the Cooking Festival this October for your Midterm grades of two of your classes."

Kasumi nods with determination. "If I can bag the first place now, I can bag the highest grade in the Festival!"

Kawakami smirked and pats her shoulder as she sets her stuff near her waiting spot.

_It's time to show them what made me, Kasumi Yoshizawa, an Olympic medalist!_

She then observes the panel of judges: Yu Narukami, the interim scholarship officer; Mitsuru Kirijo, one of the board members of the university; and....

"Akechi-san?!"

Akechi gave her a wave and a thumbs up. Kasumi nods with a smile and waits as the first 7 contestants take the stage in a matter of 35 minutes. The brunette yawned as the judges were writing the scores as she texted Akechi about something.

_"Hey, Akechi-san. Mind if you can do me a solid and ready a song for my performance?"_

"A song?" Yu looked at Akechi's message as Mitsuru gave a nod of approval.

_"What song will it be then, Yoshizawa-san?"_

It was finally Kasumi's turn as she showed everyone her signature scarlet leotard and the purple ribbon. She then bows and makes her stance. The crowd was curious as to how this stance is very different compared to the usual stance she does on TV.

"That's new." Shiho whispered.

"Yeah. I could have sworn she starts off in a scorpion pose like in her videos..." Maruki whispered back.

"Ready!" Kasumi declared as Akechi plays the song.

_You're the night, you're the light_

_You're color of my blood_

_You're the cure, you're the pain_

_You're the only one I wanna touch_

_Never knew that you can mean so much_

_(So much)_

Kasumi begins twirling her body as she raised the ribbon from ankle level to above her head, wrapping around her like a tornado before doing it in reverse as she is moving. She then lets the ribbon spin around her arm before tossing it in the air and catching it while posing as a swan upon landing. Several sounds of awe was heard as Shiho, Haru, and Ren leaned forward.

_You're the fear, I don't care_

_Coz I've never been so high_

_Follow me to the dark_

_Let me take you past our satellites_

_You can see the world you brought to life_

_(To life)_

Kasumi then pivoted her left foot as she does a 360 spin before leaping in the air and making a heart shape with the ribbon. She then wraps the ribbon in her left arm and levels it at her eyes before spinning it around her body again.

_So love me like you do_

_La-la-love me like you do_

_Love me like you do_

_La-la-love me like you do_

_Touch me like you do_

_Ta-ta-touch me like you do_

_What are you waiting for?_

Kasumi began to dance around the open space while keeping her ribbon off the ground. She then began to let the ribbon spin around her again while she touches her face dramatically.

_Fading in, fading out_

_On the edge of paradise_

_Every inch of your skin_

_Is a Holy Grail I gotta find_

_Only you can set my heart on fire_

_(On fire)_

She then prances while the ribbon moves along her legs like a snake before looking at the ceiling and spins it without looking. The ribbon flawlessly circled around her waist as she tries lifting her leg up in the process of the spin and succeeds.

_I let you set the pace_

_Coz I'm not thinking straight_

_My head's spinning around I can't see clear no more_

_What are you waiting for?_

Kasumi tosses the ribbon in the air again as she then performed a few ballet moves before catching the ribbon with one hand. She closes her eyes and then draws a letter K with the ribbon.

_Love me like you do_

_La-la-love me like you do_

_Love me like you do_

_La-la-love me like you do_

_Touch me like you do_

_Ta-ta-touch me like you do_

_What are you waiting for?_

_Love me like you do_

_La-la-love me like you do (Like you do)_

_Love me like you do_

_La-la-love me like you do_

_Touch me like you do_

_Ta-ta-touch me like you do_

_What are you waiting for?_

Kasumi then spelled her name out while moving through the ribbon's movements without tripping or ruining the motion. She then looks at the crowd and draws five hearts while giving flying kisses before she pulls the ribbon off her hair, letting the brown locks flow down to her upper back.

_I let you set the pace_

_Coz I'm not thinking straight_

_My head's spinning around I can't see clear no more_

_What are you waiting for?_

After removing the ribbon from her hair, Kasumi ties both the performance ribbon and the hair ribbon together before giving a grin. She then gives it a quick spin before posing like a priestess reaching out to the heavens.

_Love me like you do_

_La-la-love me like you do (Like you do)_

_Love me like you do_

_La-la-love me like you do_

_Touch me like you do_

_Ta-ta-touch me like you do_

_What are you waiting for?_

_Love me like you do_

_La-la-love me like you do (Like you do)_

_Love me like you do_

_La-la-love me like you do_

_Touch me like you do_

_Ta-ta-touch me like you do_

_What are you waiting for?_

Kasumi danced and skipped as the ribbons began to envelope her once again, but with the mix of the purple ribbon and her red ribbon caught everyone's attention as the colors flowing around her were beautiful. Kasumi finishes her moves by tossing the ribbons while they spin as she performs a spinning backflip as she catches it with both her right hand and mouth before spinning in her signature scorpion pose and landing with her hand extended to Ren, blushing in the process as she catches her breath.

The crowd applauded like it was an idol performing in front of them while Yu, Mitsuru, and Akechi clapped impressively and wrote in their ballots: **100.** Upon announcement of the winner, Kasumi walked up the podium with pride holding her chin up and flashes a bright smile to everyone, up to the point where she remembered her hair being untied. After being awarded by Yu, Kasumi runs towards Ren and the group.

"REN!" She tackled him as she tried to hug him in joy. "Ah! Sorry!"

Ren chuckled and hugged her after he stood up. "It's fine. Congratulations!"

"Indeed." Haru kept clapping. "You were dazzling out there!"

"Yep. Though I doubt you wanna use that moveset when the Winter Contest comes." Shiho crossed her arms and smirked.

"Yeah. Which is why I want you guys to join me in my next training session with Coach." Kasumi offered while Haru and Maruki glared at her in disbelief.

"Uh, Yoshizawa-san. You still have schoolwork to do plus catch up with a few discussions for the big quizzes and reviews before the Pre-Midterm Exams." Maruki reminded her, causing her to hang her head in shame.

"Aw, man."

"Don't worry, Sumi. I'll help you study in LeBlanc." Ren said with a warm smile.

"Yay!"

"Mind if I come along?" Akechi said as he approached them. "I might help you avoid whatever bias Ren would do because you two are an official couple."

Ren scoffed and playfully clutched his chest. "It pains me to hear that you of all people distrust me with study habits."

"Says the one who literally answered Takamaki's homework back in high school."

Shiho and Ren whistled while Kasumi pouted at her boyfriend.

"Ren Amamiya! I expect you to help me study, not answer my exams for me." She then leaned to his ear. "Though I won't mind if you answer them for me or something like that." She then kissed him in the lips before heading off to the dressing room.

"Wow." Ren whistled again.

"Such boldness in Kasumi-chan." Haru's eyes stayed wide.

"Hard to think that a young woman we managed to emotionally damage by accident ends up keeping her head up and still achieving." Maruki muttered as Akechi heard him.

"Emotionally damage?"

"Ah, it's nothing." Shiho waved him off. "Now let's go treat her to something tonight!"

As the crew began to celebrate in LeBlanc for her win while helping her study as well, Ren and Akechi managed to sneak a chat while Haru began to drill her with lessons regarding Restaurant Management and Business Ethics.

"I worry about you sometimes." Akechi mocked Ren.

"Aw, I miss you too."

"Fuck off, Ren." Akechi shook his head. "Never would I thought I'd witness Kasumi Yoshizawa perform in front of my eyes and dazzle me with her grace."

"Grace, huh?" Ren looked at Akechi. "She's quite bold in her movements though."

"Maybe it's a mix of both gracefulness and boldness? I'm not certain as of the moment, but if she will modify what she did this coming December, I might want to steal her from you."

"What are you gonna do? Send me a calling card?"

Akechi chuckled. "Not exactly. Although you mentioning the calling card sure does bring back memories."

"Yeah." Ren then began to think of an idea for his next date with Kasumi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NGL, writing the whole gymnastics sequence is harder than I thought. And, boy, I still have to write this again when we reach the chapter involving the Interschool Winter Gymnastics Contest. Note that I will still use the moves here in this chapter for that future chapter and hopefully I can alter it a bit to make it entertaining or something.
> 
> Also, if you got the reference of the movie Ren and Kasumi were watching, it is a nutshell and a foreshadowing.
> 
> Stay tuned for "A Week of Wonders", where Kasumi is being given a wild goose chase by Ren as part of his surprise!


	22. A Week of Wonders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Kasumi performed her new style and garnered the win, gaining praise from everyone while earning curiosities as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, hey!
> 
> 1.) As much as I wanna keep promoting The War That Ends The World here, I'm just gonna give up and let the readers trace the story back to Worlds Under War since they wanna know the beginning of things. So yeah. I will just advertise the other fic every three chapters.
> 
> 2.) I managed to do some art for this fic (alongside the duology), so expect a few chapters to be added with art some time around late September. (No promises on it being colored, though.)
> 
> 3.) The reason why I picked scarlet as the color associated for Kasumi is because of Persona 5's color scheme, which is red. Sumire's blue violet color scheme is reminiscent of Persona 3, TBH.
> 
> With that said, let's get it on.

Thirteen days left before October begins, and Kasumi decided to listen in on her classes to maintain the scholarship. Due to how tolerant they are, Haru and Kawakami decide to let her slide whenever she sleeps in class. With Kawakami reminding her of the Midterms Exam in the form of a cook-off and Haru following up on the Pre-Midterms, Kasumi groaned as she melted in Ann's couch.

"So many discussions.... and the exams are four days from now." She complained. Ann ruffles her hair with a chuckle.

"Cheer up! At least Haru offered to tutor you with a certain condition."

Kasumi sighed deeply. "Yeah, yeah. Her business issue and stuff."

"Yeah. By the way, have you seen my hair dye?"

"Which color?"

"Blue. I've been in touch with Morgan for the fall photo shoots, so I gotta look presentable." She muttered.

"Isn't that Mika bitch still walking free?" Kasumi huffed, earning a wince in Ann's face.

"R-Right... Ugh, how did I forget?"

"Want me to ask Futaba-san to leak her photos?"

Ann turned at the sound of that. "What photos?"

Kasumi then opened her email from Futaba with the title: _DO NOT DISTRIBUTE UNLESS NECESSARY._ Opening the file, Ann was shocked to see that the photos were...

"Nudes?!"

Kasumi nods. "And on top of that, she has been involved in some under-the-table business with a few producers to keep herself casted."

Ann is in shock again to see photos of Mika bribing the producers.

"Just say the word, Ann-san."

Ann then contemplated for a sec. "On one hand, I can finally have my revenge after years of her bitching. But on another hand, that would really break my moral code and would make me feel guilty about it."

Kasumi shook her head. "Ann-san, the entertainment industry is like sports: only the strongest and most clever come out on top. It's that or face the false scandal she has bestowed onto you."

Ann crossed her arms and winced. "Mind if I have more time to think?"

Kasumi groaned in irritation. "Fiiiiiine."

Ann then makes her way to the door for a quick outing when she notices a small rectangle under the door. She picks it up and notices it as a calling card.

"Uh, Kasumi-chan?"

"Yeah?"

Ann then walks up to her and shows the card. Kasumi then began reading it:

"Miss Kasumi Yoshizawa, the dazzling athlete of my affection,

Let us have some fun for one week. I will not be showing up in school a lot, but that doesn't mean I'll be in LeBlanc either. So let us play a game.

Your first clue/riddle: The air is so cold that being with the dark sky makes things colder.

Good luck, my dear blossom!"

Kasumi sighed. "Oh, Ren, you devilish flirt..."

Ann pinched her nose bridge. "He's at it again..."

Kasumi then laid on the couch as she began thinking what place has a match with the venue. "Hmm, the air is cold but being with the dark sky is colder...."

Ann then left her alone to think. It wouldn't be until an hour later when Kasumi realizes the answer.

"Oh!" She snapped her fingers. "The planetarium in Ikebukuro!"

She ran out of the condominium and made her way to Ikebukuro. Upon arrival, she is greeted by Yusuke.

"Oh! Kasumi!" He said with surprise.

"Hi, Yusuke-kun!" She greeted back.

"What a surprise. What brings you here to the planetarium?"

Kasumi then presented the calling card as Yusuke examined it.

"Odd. Why did he not inquire with me about it?" He began to speak by himself. "The arrangement of the letters are off their symmetry while the choice of color poorly matches the text."

"Um, Yusuke?"

"Yes?"

"Can you help me find the next clue here?" She began to swing her body left and right.

"Certainly. I must judge the next clue for its aesthetics and probably its presentation." He then gestured his hand to the entrance. "Lead the way."

Kasumi and Yusuke charged into the planetarium to look for the next clue. Luckily, there were only a few guests present in the area as they asked the staff for help. In the end, they got tired of looking.

"Damnit, is Ren pranking with me?" She huffed.

"No, I don't think so. Considering his nature, that's already a way of him teasing you." Yusuke gave her an explanation.

"Oh, well. I guess we got emp- Hmm?"

Kasumi stopped as she then made her way to one of the photographs hanging by the lobby's wall. She then took a closer look and pulls out a red card from behind a frame.

"Wonderful eye, Kasumi! Now you gotta wait until the next card for the next clue. For now, have this as your prize."

Kasumi then pulls out two tickets to another live performance by Rise in the Jazz Jin by October.

"Seriously? Oh, well. I can't turn down Ren if he bought me these already. Even though I'm not a fan of idols." She murmured. "Come on, Yusuke-kun."

"Yes. Let us be off to LeBlanc. I am in the mood for coffee."

The two then went to LeBlanc as Kasumi did her part-time job there and called it a day hours later. As she was leaving, Sojiro notices her and gives her pay.

"Huh? 30% increase?" She said as she inspected her payment.

"Ren told me so. I dunno why..." He admitted, giving Kasumi another cliffhanger.

The next day, Ann wakes Kasumi up as she gives her another calling card. Kasumi then began reading it:

"Wonderful day, my sweet blossom!

You managed to go to the planetarium yesterday, so I got another clue for you today: swimming coast to coast, enclosed ocean to ocean. Good luck!

Love, your ever-so-flirtatious lotus"

Ann scrunched her face while Kasumi began making guesses. Ann was then curious at how serious Kasumi was as she then gave her answer.

"Must be Shinagawa's aquariums! It must be!"

Kasumi then sprung up and took her bath before changing to her casual clothes and ran off, leaving Ann to look at the card again.

"Whatever you're planning, Ren, it better be worth it for her..."

Kasumi then arrives in the aquarium as she looked for the next clue. She made sure she wouldn't do something that will draw attention, so she carefully went along with the flow of the exhibit until she saw Maruki.

"Oh, Dr. Maruki!" She called out.

"Huh? Oh, it's you, Yoshi-" Maruki stopped midway after realizing that mentioning her name will draw attention. "Kasumi-san."

"What brings you here to the aquariums?"

"Well, I-"

The two were interrupted by Rumi. "Hey, Takuto, let's see th- Oh, it's you!"

"So we meet again, Rumi-san. How've you been?"

"Well, my husband went overseas for his work. So I needed a favor from Takuto here to help me keep an eye on our son." Rumi explained.

Kasumi nods her head in understanding and responded. "Well, I hope Dr. Maruki here is a good dad. He can be a klutz at times."

"Don't oversell my clumsiness, Kasumi-san." Maruki whispered. "As far as everyone knows, I-"

"Don't worry about it." Rumi chuckled. "Takuto is always clumsy in everything. Like the time he accidentally burned the fish we were grilling and he suddenly got his clothes on fire.... or the time he was scammed for helping an old lady with her missing wallet crap... or maybe-"

"Okay, that's enough." Maruki stops her from digging up more embarrassing moments. "Anyway, we should ask you about your presence here."

Kasumi then explained about Ren's little game and how she ended up in Ikebukuro yesterday, then today's clue being Shinagawa.

"I see. Well, if you thought we were busy with his research.... you thought wrong."

"Yeah. Kinda obvious already, since you're here."

"Hmm..." Rumi began to think of something. "If I were Mamaiya-kun, I'd be hiding a clue in the souvenir shop."

Kasumi beamed quickly and thanked the former couple as she sped off to the souvenir shop. Rumi looked at Maruki for a second.

"Go after her. She might do something embarrassing."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. We'll wait by the sea lions exhibit."

By the time Maruki caught up to Kasumi, he found her with an annoyed expression.

"What's wrong?"

"This is what's wrong." She groaned as she gave him the card.

"Good work! Found yourself immersed alongside the sea animals. Now you can wait until my next clue. Love ya!"

Maruki furrowed his brows. "He does know that tomorrow is a school day, right?"

"Yeah. So apparently, it might be around school? Hopefully?" Her tone of uncertainty caught Maruki off-guard.

"Well... I hope."

Kasumi then bade him and Rumi farewell after they caught up with the latter. Arriving back in the condominium, Kasumi slammed onto the bed while hearing Ann's moans in the other room.

"Ugh, she's at it again!" She covered her ears with her pillow. Meanwhile, Ann was actually recovering from a dislocated finger that she had to deal with on her own. Her putting it back to place made her cry in pain to the point where it sounded like moaning.

"Ow...."

The next day in school, Kasumi began to yawn in the middle of one of her teachers' class as one of her classmates passed a card without the teacher detecting.

"Psst. Yoshizawa."

"Hmm?"

Kasumi then felt something poking her waist and yanks it to see a card. The teacher saw her look at the card, but sighed as he had a clue.

"Read the card, Yoshizawa."

"H-Huh? Oh, okay..." She cleared her throat.

"Dazzling gymnast,

Wonderful day at the aquarium yesterday, eh? How about we ramp things up a notch? Your next clue: as smooth as the environment's welcoming sooth.

Good luck, darling!"

"Damnit, Amamiya..." She heard him grumble as he continued his discussion about economics. During lunchtime, Kasumi was going on with the clues and began to strain herself from thinking.

"Argh, I have no fucking clue about this next clue of his!" She banged her head onto the table before flinching in pain. "Ow, stupid boyfriend."

She then looked up to see Haru approaching her.

"You seem to be hurting, Kasumi-chan." She pointed out.

"Yeah. Ren isn't being much of a good boyfriend with this game of his." Kasumi sighed as Haru looked at the card and immediately answered without a second thought.

"It's the Jazz Jin, silly!" She chimed. "Jazz is a smooth kind of music to relax in, after all."

"Huh. Never thought of that at all." Kasumi then snapped her fingers after remembering something. "But isn't the Jazz Jin open during the night only?"

"Yeah. So I guess Ren-kun wants you to go there after school?"

"Ugh, but I have practice with Coach later." She complained. Haru just giggled.

"Well, maybe Coach would want to relax as well after having a long day?"

Kasumi stayed quiet for a bit until she looked at Haru again. "Not a bad idea, Haru-sama! Thanks!"

The two then ate lunch together before heading to their respective classes.

Later at night, Kasumi visits the Jazz Jin and instead of looking for clues, Muhen notices her entering and chuckles.

"Oh, Yoshizawa-san. Perfect timing."

"Huh?"

"Ren left this for you." Muhen says as he gives the card.

"Dearest Scarlet Scorpion,

You like jazz? Enjoy your night, Kasumi. It's on the house as well as how things will go."

With that, Muhen serves her a good drink and offered her a seat. "Seems like he likes you very much. You got the tickets for Risette's performance next month, right?"

"Yeah. Thank you, Muhen-san." She then finds a seat and listens to the music playing. She then hears a slow beat as she smiled and thought about the possible future with Ren. Although it was the quickest clue search, she still enjoyed the night as she eventually forgot to study.

The next day, exams began as Kasumi endlessly groaned about the exams being on moderate difficulty. She could just sleep it off, but instead she had to answer only a few correct answers. At the end of the first day, she immediately ran off to training with Hiraguchi to keep her mind off exams until she realized she has two more days of exams. Speaking of such, Hiraguchi was eager to tutor Kasumi for a bit with a twist: every wrong answer will result in a more painful exercise.

Day two of exams, and Kasumi ended up complaining again. She can only squint and stress about the answers.

Day three, and she gave up stressing about the right answers and just finished out of luck. Later on that day, Haru called the attention of Maruki and Kawakami in regards of Kasumi's exam results. Safe to say, Kasumi did well but not to the extent of excelling at the top of class. For Kasumi, however, she received another card with a clue.

"My dear Kasumi,

You like having hot baths, yes? Well, you're in luck. Go do part-time in LeBlanc, then relax at the bathhouse at midnight sharp for free.

Stay safe!"

Kasumi then did what the card said without hesitation, and eventually she went and bathed in the bathhouse. Luckily. no one was around to see her. However, she did receive a card from the bulletin board and read its only contents: I.L.Y.

"Huh. So that's it." She muttered as she dressed up and went home.

The next day was a rest day for the entire school, and as Kasumi was lounging around in LeBlanc during her break, Futaba and company arrived.

"Namaste!"

"What's bonking?"

"Greetings!"

"What is up, my dudes?"

"Oi, Kasumi!"

Kasumi then nods her head and sighed. "Hey, guys."

"Where's Ren-Ren?" Ryuji asked as he looked around.

"Yeah. Haven't seen him all week." Futaba grumbled.

"It's all because of his stupid game!" Kasumi couldn't hold in her frustration and slammed her fists onto the table. "That man has the nerve to make me do tasks that make me look like a complete idiot!"

Yusuke then furrowed his brows. "Still haven't figured out the clue, huh?"

"Hell to the fuck no." She glared at them.

"Yo, don't blame us!" Shiho raised her hands in defense. "We got no idea either!"

Suddenly, she receives a call from Ren. Still fuming, Kasumi answers the phone with a hot head.

"Ren Amamiya, you good-for-nothing bastard! Just where the hell are you already? I am done playing your games and-"

Ren began laughing as he cuts Kasumi off. "Sumi, relax. Okay? Your last clue is with Hiraguchi. I promise."

Growling in anger, Kasumi ends the call and marches out of the cafe. Dumbfounded, the group then discusses something else.

"Sheesh, Kasumi's really pissed at Ren." Shiho blurted out.

"We haven't seen a girl this pissed at him since Ann.... or Makoto, for that matter." Ryuji muttered.

"She's completely changed, though. I mean, I like that she doesn't chicken around anymore.... but I miss the old Kasumi."

"Yeah. Haru kept texting me if she was busy or something." Futaba pointed out.

"I as well have been getting messages in regards to Kasumi. From a gentleman named Morgan, of course." Yusuke added.

"Why the fuck would he want Kasumi in the Golden Wind Studio?" Shiho began to be suspicious.

"Dude, I dunno." Ryuji scratched his head.

Arriving in Hiraguchi's studio, Kasumi barged in while her coach was napping.

"Coach!"

As if right on cue, Hiraguchi gives her the card which contained a ticket. "Here you go."

Kasumi then inspected the ticket carefully. "A Sweet September: Autumn Specials in the Wilton Buffet."

Hiraguchi then lifted the magazine off her face. "You got really lucky. I wondered how did the special two tickets get sold out only to realize that Amamiya saved it for you."

Kasumi couldn't help but jump with joy as Ren covered her eyes.

"Surprise!"

"Ren!"

The two shared a kiss in front of Hiraguchi, who only chuckled. "Alright, lovebirds. Not in my studio."

"S-Sorry, Coach."

"I promise I'll make up for nabbing the ticket against your hype, Hiraguchi."

"Damn right, you do. Now go have fun." She said to the two of them as the duo left for Shibuya.

In Okinawa National Hospital, the eyes of an unconscious girl began to twitch open as she spoke her first words.

"S-S-S-Sumire?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like somebody's awake, and thus the story intensifies. Things are about to get crazy...
> 
> How will the surprise date of Ren and Sumire go? Stay tuned for the next chapter, "A Night of Intimacy", where they go on a trip to the Wilton Buffet and Miura Beach!


	23. A Night of Intimacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Kasumi was sent on a scavenger hunt for Ren's surprise. Though frustrated with the effort, she showed happiness when Ren finally showed up with a surprise date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter!
> 
> Okay, I'm gonna warn y'all ahead. The next chapter is 75% S-M-U-T. Like, if this chapter is 50% S-W-E-E-T and 50% S-E-R-I-O-U-S, then the other chapter will be a bit S-P-I-C-Y!
> 
> That is all. Let's get on with the story.

Ren and Kasumi arrive in the Wilton Hotel's Buffet and presented their tickets. The receptionist was in shock, however, upon seeing Kasumi.

"Ah! Kasumi Yoshizawa?"

"Yep, that's me!" She replied jubilantly.

"But the news just-"

"Please do not rely on the media. They just want you to think I'm comatosed forever." She changed her tone to a serious one.

"I see." He then escorted the two to their table. "This way, please."

As the two walked, Ren spoke to his date. "Aggressive, much?"

Kasumi huffed. "I'm beginning to feel insulted whenever people say I am currently hospitalized. Who do they take me for?"

Ren just chuckled. "They're probably surprised. Maybe change your appearance for a bit?"

Kasumi then nods and detours to the bathroom. Ren then informed the receptionist about Kasumi's little break.

Meanwhile, in the restrooms, Kasumi removes her ribbon and lets the hair go down. She then furrows her brows upon seeing her hair down in the mirror before letting it flow on the left shoulder.

"That's better!" She chimed as she left to go back to Ren. After entering the buffet and catching Ren waiting for her, the two then took turns in getting their food. Ren gave a satisifed grin towards Kasumi as she returns with three plates of huge meals.

"Your turn, Ren!"

"You never fail to please me." Kasumi blushed a bit as Ren stood up and went to get his food. While waiting, she overhears some people behind her.

_Ugh, Amamiya is here._

_Do you think he has another strategy meeting with someone to ruin this country further?_

_Hey! Let's be professional politicians here! Shido and the majority of the United Future were entirely corrupt to the bone, and with a young man like him proving that..._

_Who cares about being a righteous politician? We're getting paid by the masses for sitting down only._

_You think politics is just easy money for you?_

_Personally, yes._

Kasumi then notices Ren return as he brought back two plates.

"Thank you for the food!" Both said in unison as they began eating.

Kasumi already finished her first plate while Ren was only halfway with his. She then decided to bring up something.

"Ren?"

"Yeah?"

"You know... we've been dating for quite some time now..."

"Uh-huh."

"But I still have a few things to know about you yet."

"True..." Ren then cleared his throat as he wiped off the mess in his mouth. "So what do you want to know?"

Kasumi then looked at the politicians behind her.

"What is your connection with Masayoshi Shido?"

Sighing deeply, Ren then leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "Back when I was just a freshman in high school in my hometown of Nayami, I witnessed a woman getting raped inside a car. I stopped the man from continuing, but at my force he banged his head hard onto the window of a building behind him. In retaliation, he got me arrested and I got charged with assault while he scurried scot-free. It wouldn't be until I moved to Tokyo for a probationary academic life when the woman I saved killed herself."

Kasumi was in shock, but gestured him to continue.

"But man, Shujin was trying to control me like a robot. The P.E. teacher and volleyball coached raped Shiho, molested Ann, assaulted Ryuji, and even tried to kill me by breaking my neck. And the fat motherfucker of a principal just watched and cared less about what happens to the students." He took off his glasses. "These glasses are a symbol of me hiding my true self, and when I keep them off... I am one who is determined to finish things off."

"So the outing of the coach was because of you?"

"Yeah. I can't bear to look at Shiho in the hospital nor think of the possibility that she might have been fertile."

Kasumi looks down in guilt. "It must have been horrible for you all. But why help them?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why help them when you barely knew them? Their parents could have been the ones doing most of the work. We can't rely on everyone to help us forever."

"I get what you mean, but it's not applicable to everyone."

Kasumi began to eat the food in her second plate. "And how about Yusuke-kun, Haru-sama, and Makoto-san?"

Ren then gave a small laugh at the memory of how Yusuke met them. "Well, it wasn't long after we met Yusuke in an Art Contest the school held to cover up the scandal. Boy, did he insult Ann's painting entirely."

"What did he say?"

"In verbatim: 'Such an abomination to the world of art! The lack of passion, the broken expressions and interpretations, and the wrong measurements of things... Truly a shame for you to actually try art as your hobby.' Never gets old."

"That was harsh, though."

"Nah, Shiho said the same thing, but in simpler terms."

Kasumi shook her head while sporting a small grin. "Fair enough."

"When we all finished college, Ann and Shiho went to U.E.S. together with me while Ryuji went for the University of Tokyo. Unfortunately, Ann relied on her career while Ryuji was short on cash to continue their studies. So it was just me and Shiho schooling. At the same time, Ann and Shiho noticed some teachers keeping tabs on me or monitoring my movements and activities, so they warned me about it."

Kasumi then catches Ren frown.

"And then that's where shit went south for my personal life. I was too hellbent with revenge that I used my studies as a disguise and my dates with Ann as a way of monitoring them as well. A month before the third semester began, Ann and I broke up. Shiho and I slept for a while. Then I met Makoto and became her fling. Then there was Haru in her senior year the moment I 'dated' her to get close to her father and exploit his corruption in handling Okumura Foods."

"So how long did it take until you found his identity?"

"Not long. Two months after I exploited Okumura Foods' secrecy, I traced a lot of connections. One was with Junya Kaneshiro, a mafia boss who was in charge of handling political assassinations. The other was with Shujin's principal and vice principal, while another were with a few teachers here in U.E.S. Ryuji and Yusuke managed to help by recruiting Futaba to extract multiple data revolving around Shido's political party. And in the end, everything became a downfall."

Kasumi then looked at him and reached out for his hand.

"You won, didn't you?"

"Yeah." He then looked at Kasumi. "But overturning the charge was already too late. My own family didn't want me anymore, so they called to ship the remaining stuff out of the house to LeBlanc. The rest were then sold to benefit themselves."

"That's horrible!"

"Such is life itself." Ren then began eating the second meal while Kasumi starts her third.

"But still though! You've been living cruelly because of how everyone treated you!"

"Tell that to every blue-collared and white-collared bastard who looks down on me." Ren cryptically says.

Finishing their meal, Kasumi glanced at Ren, who just unbuckled his belt due to how much he has eaten.

"Soooooo fuuuuuulll........"

"Wanna burn them off now?"

"Maybe some other time, Sumi..."

Kasumi then looked at him with a downcast expression.

"I'm sorry for bringing up a very serious and traumatic memory." She apologized to him, but is baffled when he waves her off.

"It's fine. I'm honestly glad to finally tell you, though." He reassured her, but Kasumi can tell he isn't out of the woods yet. She stretched her body and drank her drink as she thanked Ren for bringing her.

"Oh, but it isn't over yet." He said with a smirk.

"Huh? There's more?" She asked.

"Follow me." He placed down the payment and pulled her out of her seat.

"Wait! Ren!"

The two then arrive at Miura Beach after a long taxi ride. Surprised, Kasumi looked around at the place.

"No one's here..." She muttered.

"Yeah."

A realization then dawned to her. "WAIT, WE HAVE THE BEACH TO OURSELVES! AT NIGHT!"

"Yep."

Kasumi then pulled her phone out and excused herself. As soon as she was out of Ren's sight, she immediately called Futaba.

"Psst! Futaba!"

_"Ask and you shall receive."_

"Got an extra swimsuit?"

_"WHAT!? A SWIMSUIT!?"_

"From that reaction, I take it you don't have one."

_"OF COURSE I DON'T! JUST USE YOUR OWN UNDERWEAR!"_

"Like hell, I will! I did not even expect this at all!"

As Futaba was about to retort back, the voices of Ryuji, Yusuke, and Shiho were heard.

_"Yo, Kasumi!"_

_"How are you faring there in the Wilton Buffet?"_

_"Dude, she just asked if Futaba had a swimsuit."_

_"That is quite an unsightly curse."_

_"Fuck you, Inari!"_

_"Guys, just zip it!"_

_"Whatcha wearing though?"_

"Just apple-themed underwear. I dunno why I had this to begin with, but Ann-san should be done with the laundry by tomorrow."

_"Ooohh, apple-themed eh?"_

"Shiho-san, don't tease me!"

_"I bet you'll be the apple of his eyes. If ya catch my drift."_

"This isn't funny, guys!"

_"Good luck!"_

Futaba purposely ends the call, causing Kasumi to embrace whatever embarrassment she will have.

"Oh, Ren!"

Ren, already wearing his swimming trunks, turns to see Kasumi, who is blushing heavily due to her underwear.

"Quite the apple of my eye, dontcha think?" He began teasing her as he pokes her bare belly.

"K-Knock it off!" She slapped his hand.

"Sorry. Couldn't help it. You're too cute for your own good." He attempted to tease her again, but she retorted.

"You're one to talk."

As the two settled down by the sand, Ren began talking.

"It's been a while since I brought a girl with me to the beach for a short stargazing moment to pair with the swimming."

"Really? Was it with Ann-san?"

"... Yeah." He began turning red for a bit. "And, uh, this is where we, uh-"

Kasumi began giggling. "It's fine to tell me that you and Ann-san did **it**."

Ren exhaled a sigh of relief. "Well, it looks like your fine with it entirely."

"... not exactly."

Ren then turned around to see Kasumi blushing into a tomato.

"I... haven't experienced something like that. Only in the process of touching myself."

The air around them became awkward as Ren cleared his throat and tried to change the topic.

"Well, why not we have a swim?"

Kasumi then stood up and smirked. "Last one in is a rotten egg!"

"Hey!" He chased after her. "It doesn't work that way!"

The two lovers then began waddling in the water and kept splashing water onto each other. Ren then decided to have fun and pretend that he is a shark underwater, but after seeing Kasumi pretending to be a fisherman he decided to play along instead.

"Ooh, I got a big one!" She playfully smirked.

"Oh, am I?"

"Wah! The fish talked!" She pushed Ren back down to the water while laughing.

"Hey, not fair!"

Ren sees her stick her tongue out playfully and retaliates by tickling her ribs. Kasumi feels her knees trembling at this.

"N-N-NO! Stop! Please! Not there! Have mercy!" She begged Ren to stop as they crashed onto the water and swam back to shore. Both of them chuckled as soon as they arrived back to the sand.

"That was fun!" Kasumi beamed as Ren pulled her down to the sand. "Hey, Ren! What the f-"

Ren placed a finger on her mouth and pointed at the sky. The stars are shining brightly as the sky was clear enough to see a lot of them.

"Wow! Look at those stars, Ren!"

"Yeah. Pretty, huh?"

Kasumi then gave a small smile. "Your next line will be, 'But you're prettier than the stars.'"

"But you're prettier than the stars." Ren widened his eyes. "What are you, psychic?"

"I knew it. Hehehe." She couldn't stop her giggling before she scrunched her face and groaned. "Argh, I forgot I was wearing this."

"Well, the clothes stores are closed..."

Kasumi playfully slapped his chest. "Are you suggesting I go home without underwear? Pervert."

Ren shook his head. "I wasn't going to say that."

"Oh, but I know you want me to."

Ren chuckled. "I won't deny that though."

In a flash, a shooting star passes by and catches Kasumi's eye. "A shooting star!"

Ren then smiled at her. "Did you make a wish?"

Kasumi continued looking at the sky as Ren wondered if she was still thinking. He then feels her hand on top of his.

"I want to be officially yours forever, Ren." She said as she looked at him with pink cheeks.

The two then leaned forward to kiss each other. Their lips felt each other's warmth as the lovers held each other in an embrace. Parting their kiss, Kasumi and Ren then laid down and continued watching the stars.

"How can we make this official forever, Sumi?" Ren then glances at the corner of his eye. He eyes Kasumi removing her bra and going on top of him.

"Kiss me." She then locks lips with him again for a minute before laying back next to him.

"You do realize you're topless, right?" Ren looked at her quizzically.

"Don't worry. These are only for you to see, kiss, and touch." She teased as she noticed Ren turning red. "But for now, let's just bask in the moment."

Ren then cuddled Kasumi close to him. "Yeah...."

"I love you, Ren."

"I love you too, Kasumi."

Around three hours later, Futaba and the group finished their co-op match together in her room.

"Fuck, we ended up second again!" Shiho groaned.

"To be fair, we always land in an unlucky zone. Although Futaba nearly died around ten times due to her recklessness in facing the enemies head first." Yusuke chided Futaba for her strategy.

"Don't shift the blame to me, Inari!" Futaba jabbed her finger at Yusuke.

While the argument went on, Ryuji notices a red button under Futaba's desk. "Eh? Hey, Futaba!"

"Yo!" Futaba stopped her argument for a bit.

"This red button..."

"Oh, that? It's a button that activates the hidden camera in Ann's condominium."

"The hell!?"

"Futaba!" Shiho was appalled.

"Hey! Ever since she broke up with Ren, I only get footage of her sleeping with other guys and her little alone time. I got bored so I haven't opened that thing for a year now." Futaba defended herself while hoping to avoid Shiho's wrath or Ryuji's further inquiry.

"At the very least, the device should still be active despite its inactivity for a year."

Shiho then sighed deeply. "I wonder what Ann is up to. Ryuji, hit it!"

As Ryuji pressed the button, Yusuke realized something. "Oh, Ann isn't at....."

The monitor turned on as the group then witnesses something raunchy. Something euphoric. Something that Yusuke was distracted with as he finished his message.

"... Home."

Shiho, Futaba, Ryuji, and Yusuke then went red as the loudest sound in the audio was heard.

_"REEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh-la-la! What is happening in Ann's condominium?
> 
> That, and Ren's confidant is unlocked by Yoshizawa! She has finally learned about his connection to the man named Shido as well as how it affected his personal life.
> 
> Stay tuned for the next chapter, "Pillow Talk", where it is one of the little chapters that goes down and dirty....


	24. Pillow Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Ren and Kasumi go on a date as she learns more about Ren and decides to be officially his after the trips to Wilton Hotel and Miura Beach.
> 
> Elsewhere, Futaba and company reactivate a camera in Ann's home only to find something they wished they did not see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who waited for the smut: here is the smut. So, uh, tell me if it bad smut or good smut.
> 
> And because the last chapter ended in the POV of Futaba and the rest, they get their appearances here mid-chapter and after the end of it.
> 
> Now let's get it on...

_Thirty minutes earlier...._

Kasumi and Ren sneak back to Ann's condominium and unlock the door. Finding that the place is empty, Ren began to express his uneasiness.

"Are you sure you wanna do it here?"

Kasumi removed her sandals and pulled him in for a kiss. "Quit being a killjoy already."

Ren returned the kiss as they got more passionate. Slamming onto the couch, the two began to make out like crazy as they let their hands travel around each other while their tongues danced inside their mouths.

"Mmmmph! R-Ren..."

"You're a good kisser, Kasumi." He then notices her eyes widened with shock. "Something wrong?"

Snapping back, Kasumi shakes her head. "N-Nothing. It's just...."

"Don't tell me you're nervous about this."

"Huh? Me? THE Kasumi Yoshizawa? Nervous about sex? No way."

Ren then stared at her with a deadpan expression.

"Okay, yes. I am nervous. This is my first time, you know!" She admitted with a huge blush.

Ren then stood up and helped her get up. "Then we do this in a bigger space. Like your bed."

Still blushing, Kasumi leads Ren to the bed as she then closes the door and locks it.

"In case Ann-san comes home, you know?"

Ren then sighed out of embarrassment. "Truth be told, this is where Ann and I first had sex."

Kasumi furrowed her brows in confusion. "But the beach-"

"Was where we first did something half-sexual. Like, doing 69 without the thought of actual sex." Ren finished.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Three minutes passed as the two kept the awkward silence around them. Kasumi then cleared her throat.

"Um, do you... mind laying down?"

Ren complied as Kasumi then straddled on top of him and leaned down to kiss him. As the two began making out, Kasumi suddenly grinds her hips onto Ren's crotch as they intensified their kiss. Ren impulsively then gropes Kasumi's breasts from under her shirt as she suddenly moaned to the feeling. Realizing what she did, she retracted from the kiss and covered her mouth.

"Did I just moan in your mouth? I'm so sorry!" She apologized and attempted to get off of him, but he pulls her back down and gently reassured her.

"It's okay. It means you're enjoying it. I mean, you moaning was kinda cute to hear."

Kasumi blushed and pouted. "No fair! How come I can't tease you?"

"Well, verbally... you can't overpower me." He said with a smug smirk.

"Oh? Then I guess I should do this?" She began rocking her hips harshly onto his crotch as he began to grunt a bit. Kasumi stopped rocking as she felt something hard between her legs.

_Holy shit, is this-_

"Uh, Ren?"

"Yeah. It is."

She then gets off of him and cautiously unzips his pants. Pulling it down along with his underwear, she lets out a gasp as she then began examining it.

"6.5 inches in length... not bad. Though 1.75 inches in girth... quite an attractive sight..."

Ren then stared at her. "Are you trying to scientifically estimate my own dick?"

Kasumi snapped out and apologized again. Ren can only chuckled as he reached a hand onto her cheek.

"Well, I'm giving you my shaft to please." He leans forward to her ear. "If you win, I get to treat you to a buffet in Suidobashi."

Kasumi pursed her lips and forced a smile as she began to grasp Ren's penis.

_Wow, the feeling really is different._

She slowly begins to pump her hand that wrapped his meat around as Ren kept his smirk.

"Cold feet already? We just got kinky in the beach earlier..."

"That was because it was just us being topless!" Kasumi defended with a blush, not realizing that she quickened her pace in giving her first handjob. This caused Ren to grunt suddenly and made Kasumi flinch.

"Am I going too hard?" She asked as she winced.

"N-N-No.... Y-Y-You're doing g-g-great..." He spoke as his voice cracked.

_Oh, so he likes it a bit hard and somewhat fast._

The brunette took her gamble as she did it harder and faster, making Ren grip the bed tightly as he tries to hold himself in.

Three minutes in, and Ren is struggling to avoid firing his shot as Kasumi went faster.

"Am I, uh, doing good?"

Before Ren could answer, he lets out a sharp moan while Kasumi suddenly felt something hot and sticky shot onto her face. Picking a few off her nose bridge, she tastes it. She stuck her tongue out in initial disgust.

"Ew. It's salty..."

She then looked at Ren, who was cursing to himself.

"Ren?"

The ravenette sighed. "Sorry I fired my load too early."

Kasumi then grabbed a few more of his cum and tasted it. "Do you like me doing this?"

In Ren's mind, he was shocked to see Kasumi doing something that Ann, Makoto, or Shiho hasn't done when he slept with them.

_Is she.... licking my cum off her face?_

He grabbed a blanket and gave it to her.

"Uh, I suggest you don't take all of it in your mouth." He gave her a precaution.

"Why not?"

"Because..."

Kasumi then lets a cocky smile creep on her face. "Are you scared of losing?"

_Ah, shit. I forgot that I made this into a game._

"N-No...."

Without hesitation, Kasumi takes his dick in and licks it inside her mouth. Ren was mortified by how bold she has gone in only her first time, but the feeling was so exciting he couldn't help but gasp and moan in delight.

"Ngh! K-K-Kasumi...."

Slowly and surely, Kasumi bobbed her head up and down as she explored his dick in her mouth and its taste. Her mind went into a frenzy as she does so.

_Crap, it's occupying my entire mouth!_

_He may not admit it, but damn he's such a snack!_

_Hang on. Fuck snack. He's an entire meal!_

Picking up her pace, Kasumi began to give him a faster blowjob as the sounds of his grunts, moans, and muffled gasps are music to her ears. Ren, on the other hand, was internally yelling at himself as he feels another wave of passion about to unload.

_Damnit, how is she good at this!? I'm gonna disappoint her, at this rate!_

Ren suddenly hears her gag at his size, causing his mind to go nuts and accidentally unload in her mouth. Kasumi removes his dick and began coughing and spitting out the white result that coated her mouth and throat.

"Ugh! Shit!" She glared at Ren. "Give a warning next time!"

Ren then realized he never told her he would cum. First, the handjob. Now, the blowjob.

_I really should remind myself that._

Kasumi then leaves to wash her mouth while Ren just laid in bed and strip off his top. When Kasumi returned, she blushed at the sight of his erection still active and him laying on her bed.

"R-R-Ren...."

"Yeah?"

"Mind if you can... return me the favor?"

Ren stood up and rubbed his hand with a Cheshire Cat grin. "With pleasure..."

Kasumi gulped as she stripped her clothes off. She immediately hid her crotch as Ren gently pulled her hands off.

"Huh." Was all that came out of his mouth.

"Look, I know I forgot to shave this off, okay?" She averted her gaze away from him as felt his lips suddenly kissing her neck. The feeling itself sent shivers all over her body as she lets out a loud moan.

"Ohhhh! That feels good." She muttered as she felt one hand on her left breast and the other on her right hip. Ren then slowly gave her a hickey, causing Kasumi to flinch a little. "What are you, a vampire?"

"Maybe. But I'm just leaving a mark to make sure no other guy gets you, Sumi." He whispered as he licked her ear, causing her to turn red and collapse onto the bed.

"R-R-Ren, be gentle with m-m-me...."

Ren began to leave kisses on her body and three hickeys on her right collar area, her left breast, and her left shoulder. All in all, Kasumi never felt so alive in her life as she lets out dirty moans and called out his name sexually.

"More, baby.... I wanna be covered in your kisses, Ren." She moaned as she looks at him finally reaching down to her clit. She jolted as she felt his tongue flick on the little bulb and accidentally knees his jaw.

"Ow!"

"Shit! I'm really sorry, Ren!"

She suddenly hugged his head and rubbed the back of his head like she is comforting a pet. She then heard Ren laugh and let go of his head.

"It's okay. I guess you're quite sensitive now."

Kasumi squinted her eyes. "How can you tell?"

Ren reaches out for her nipples and pinches them, causing Kasumi to flinch again but with a moan being released.

"When you get into the feeling of sex, your body parts with high nerve sensitivity stimulate and make themselves known with no shame." He then explained to as he bit her clit, making Kasumi flinch and moan to prove his point.

"Like your clitoris."

"It hurts when you bit it, Ren. But..."

"It felt good, right?"

"Y-Yeah. Can you do it more gently though?"

Ren nods as Kasumi lays down and adjusts her legs to give Ren some space. As he started licking the entrance, Kasumi's eyes widened with shock and pleasure as she moaned.

"Yeeeesssss..... Oh, that feeeeeeeellllsss goooooooodddd...... Moooooooore, pleeeeeaaaaaaassseee....."

Ren continued to give her an oral payback as he looked at her.

_Shit, she is so sexy to look at with that face..._

He gives off a grin and inserted his tongue inside her vagina. The swirling of his tongue inside her stimulated Kasumi more and caused her to become noisier in the heat of the pleasure.

"Shiiiiiit, Ren! Don't stop!"

Ren complies by suddenly rubbing her clit while licking her. Kasumi couldn't hold herself in and gave him a warning.

"I'm cumming!"

Ren pulls out and suddenly witnesses her ooze out some vaginal juice alongside white sticky cum. He sees Kasumi panting heavily with a lewd expression.

"So goooooood....."

Ren kissed her forehead as Kasumi sees his erection still around. "Put it in already."

"Alright then. Let me just get the condom and-"

He suddenly gets whipped back to the bed as Kasumi looked at him with deadly determination.

"No! I want to feel it without anything covering it."

"Y-You sure? What if you-"

Kasumi scoffed. "Being chicken already?"

"It's not that." Ren pouted at her.

"Then take the gamble!" Kasumi dared him as she opened her legs. "Please?"

As this was happening...

"I wonder what Ann is up to." Shiho spoke with disappointment. "Ryuji, hit it!"

Earlier, Futaba invited Shiho, Ryuji, and Yusuke to join her co-op game while her Wifi was still very strong. Clock strikes midnight, and the group finished second place. After discovering an old recording device, Shiho instructed Ryuji to turn it on. However...

"Oh, Ann isn't at-"

Yusuke's notification was interrupted by the very sight of Ren slowly inserting his member onto Kasumi's flower. Ryuji, Futaba, and Shiho blushed at the very moment Kasumi moaned in pain and pleasure.

"REEEEEEEEN!" She cried out as she endured the thickness of his cock occupying the space of her vaginal walls. Even Ren himself had a struggle.

"Damn, Sumi! You're so tight!" He then remembered something. "Should you be a bit loose if you kept touching yourself a lot?"

"Ngh! How would I...." Kasumi pushed herself for the penis to travel inward as she is adjusting. "How would I know if I was tight or loose?"

Ren then gulped in anxiety as he began thrusting carefully. Kasumi felt the slight pain of the thing moving inside her, but as the movement sped up a bit she began to moan more while her face turned red.

"I feel so lewd, Ren. But I love it....." She muttered as Ren asked her nicely.

"Just tell me to stop if it's too much, okay?"

Kasumi nods her head as he pushed her legs near face and lets her feet lock onto his shoulders. Giving power thrusts, Kasumi gasped and moaned at her loudest without shame as Ren dominated her in the missionary position.

"Mmmmmm.... Ren, sweetie...... More, more, more!"

Ren was unsure whether to enjoy hearing Kasumi demand more sex or be amused at how quickly she embraced it. He leaned forward and kissed her quickly before pulling out.

"Hey!" She angrily said. "What gives?! Huh?"

She was then made to lay on her side as he enters her sideward. Kasumi lets out a sharp cry of pleasure as he goes hard on her.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes! Give it to me hard!"

"Dude, what the hell!?"

"Futaba! Turn it off!"

Shiho and Ryuji began panicking as Futaba tries to turn off he camera. Unfortunately, the button fell off and made Shiho scream.

"We're doomed!"

Futaba, on the other hand, banged her head on the table. "Now I know why I never touched that thing anymore."

_"Ren Amamiya, better fuck me good if you want me to be your wife in the future!"_

Ryuji, Futaba, and Shiho turned beet red at the sound of Kasumi enjoying sex. What made Futaba panic more is Sojiro.

_"Futaba, I'm home!"_

"Shit! Sojiro's home!"

Shiho stood up and volunteered to distract Sojiro for a bit while Futaba and Ryuji figure out how to lessen the noise. Yusuke, on the other hand, was busy watching the passionate sex between his friend and the new gymnast friend.

Now in an animalistic position, Kasumi kept her balance on all fours while Ren worked behind her. Moaning louder and louder as she hears skin slapping on her butt, Kasumi holds it in as Ren picks up the pace.

"Damnit, I can't hold any longer...." She heard him grunt and forced herself off of the position and laid on her back.

"Do it like this, Ren." She begged for him to continue missionary. Now hesitant, Ren carefully inserts himself again inside her as he obeyed her raunchy order.

"Do it hard and grind me. Don't let go."

He complies as he notices her locking him with her legs.

"Kasumi?"

"I'm yours forever, Ren. It's okay."

Ren sighed in a worrisome breath as he began to grind on her sensually, hitting the spot more than ever.

"Oh, yeahh... That feels better..."

She then swore she heard Ren mumble "Easy for you to say", but she ignores it as she looks at him with lustful eyes.

"R-R-Ren....."

"Sumi..."

_Still cool-headed in the middle of the heat, huh?_

"I love you."

"I love you too, Sumi."

Ren then leans forward for Kasumi to kiss him as both are nearing their limit. Kasumi then felt something liquidy and warm shot inside her as she lets out an orgasmic moan in Ren's mouth. Pulling out to reveal the messy result, Kasumi chuckled.

"I guess my first time is quite an eye-catcher." She attempted to joke. But Ren said otherwise.

"What if you were fertile for real?"

Kasumi then pondered and shrugged. Ren panicked a bit.

"You shrugging it off doesn't help."

"Well, if I feel like vomiting and having cramps during practice... then I can tell I'm preggo." She said nonchalantly.

Ren sighed and cleaned her up before laying down in bed next to her. Kasumi then pulls his arm and lets him give her a naked cuddle as both felt the heat their bodies eminated.

"You're so warm, Ren."

"You're warmer, Kasumi."

Kasumi blew a strand of hair off her face. "Let's make sure no one knows our little dirty secret for now..."

Ren gave a smile as he kissed her lips. "I love you, Kasumi."

"I love you too, Ren."

The lovebirds then closed their eyes and dozed off to sleep.....

...... Meanwhile, Sojiro sighed in disappointment after Shiho's attempts to ward him off Futaba's room failed.

"I can't believe you spied on Ren and Kasumi-chan doing sexual intercourse, Futaba. I thought we discussed this after your incident with the browser search and the time you spied on Ann-chan and Ren back when they were dating." Sojiro then gave his daughter a stern look. "Are you really that desperate?"

"WHAT!? N-NO! This was just an accident and the button broke and... and..."

As Futaba tried to defend herself, Yusuke saved her life while blaming Ryuji.

"To be fair, Ryuji was the one who discovered it. So mainly, he is at fault for this."

"The hell, Yusuke!?"

Sojiro then looked at Shiho. "Was he like this too when you two did it?"

Shiho felt her blood drain away from her body as Ryuji, Futaba, and Yusuke whipped their heads at the sound of Sojiro's question.

"Whoops. Was that supposed to be a secret?" Sojiro then looked at them dumbfounded.

"Say.... how was Ren, Shiho?"

"Hey, piss off!"

"Well, considering that I have knowledge on Ann and Ren-Ren doing the dirty since high school... and now witnessing Ren-Ren getting at it with Kasumi... and how he did his duty with Makoto before we dated..." Ryuji lets out a mischievous grin that made Shiho shake her head in shame.

"Oh, shit....."

Sojiro then left them alone as he made a mental note to lecture Futaba on the coming of age.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I hope I did the smut chapter well. Coz apparently there will be one more chapter with smut. Though I won't tell how soon or how late it will happen. Buuuuut there will be hints about their hot misadventures in some of the later chapters, so think of it as off-screen sex.
> 
> Now that Kasumi and Ren have done it, now is the time for her to actually gain her Midterm grade in the cook-off!
> 
> Stay tuned for "Impromptu Connoisseur"!


	25. Impromptu Connoisseur

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Ren and Kasumi finally had their first sexual intercourse..... all the while Futaba and crew stumbling upon it by accident.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Sorry for uploading this one against my schedule. I got business to do this Thursday and Friday, so might as well give a bonus chapter until I return.
> 
> Well, I hoped some of y'all enjoyed the smut of the previous chapter. Coz now we back to normal in the story.
> 
> Also, I hope y'all don't get hungry with the food I'll mention here. Though if you do, feel free to try it out. (Coz I have no idea how the food I write taste in real life.)
> 
> For now, here's the story!

A few days after their passionate moment, Ren and Kasumi began going to places together and without a second to lose sight of each other. As admirable as this was, not everyone liked it. Especially when Kasumi becomes possessive towards Ren. This becomes more evident whenever Kasumi would keep sending selfies of herself in class to Ren while the latter would normally send selfies of himself after his classes.

"Ehem." Kawakami cleared her throat after catching Kasumi taking a snap during her class.

"Yes, Kawakami-sama?"

Kawakami wants to reprimand her so bad, but she instead had a better idea. "I hope you are sending photos of your beautiful self to your future partner for the cook-off Midterm exam."

Kasumi replied with so much pride. "Why, yes I am! Our food will certainly knock all your socks off!"

Kawakami then decides to play along to her whim. "I hope this food is not flavored in curry or placed under a balanced diet then."

Noticing Kawakami's smirk, Kasumi can feel a huge teardrop on the back of her head as she surrendered.

"Now speaking of timing the food's cook time well, what do you call the phenomenon that occurs when the second hand of the clock looks like it stopped time from moving?" Kawakami then looked at her other student raising his hand. "And NO, I will not tolerate 'Za Warudo' as an answer."

The student lowered his hand while Kasumi snickered. "Is it chrono-something?"

"Well, say the correct word."

"Chrono..... chrono.... ah, chronostasis!"

Kawakami applauded Kasumi for answering the correct answer. "Excellent. Looks like you still have it."

Kasumi then furrowed her brows. "Wait, what's that supposed to mean?"

After school, Kasumi received a message from Hiraguchi that she wants a place to relax and have her dinner. Using her brain, Kasumi invited her to LeBlanc so that she can spend time with both Ren and Coach in order to strategize the next competition. Upon arriving in LeBlanc, Sojiro gave her the biggest shit-eating grin while Ren facepalmed.

"Sojiro, please..."

"Well, I wonder if you and Ren enjoyed your night together a few days back." He mused while cleaning his glasses.

Kasumi was caught off-guard and stepped back with a blush. "I-Um-Uh-I, well, you see... I kinda... Um..."

Ren then played along. "You broke her, Sojiro."

"Not like the way YOU broke her, if you catch my drift." Sojiro chuckled as he excused himself to do the groceries.

Ren groaned while Kasumi prepped herself to work. Once the coast is clear, Ren apologized for Sojiro's teasing.

"I-It's fine, Ren." She looked around and shouted. "HOW DID HE KNOW!?"

Ren then looked at his wrist watch. "The answer will come in three... two... one!"

Right on cue, Futaba enters LeBlanc after she finished her class. Noticing Ren and Kasumi, she averted her gaze and sat on the booth.

"HeyRenheyKasumiwhatsupIdidntdoanything!"

Both part-timers blinked in confusion as Hiraguchi entered.

"Welcome." Ren greeted her.

"Amamiya." She then looked at his brunette partner. "Kasumi? You work here?"

"Yeah! Well, since May." She sheepishly rubbed her neck.

"I see. Last I remembered, Sumire was the one who was kitchen-heavy." Hiraguchi remarked as Kasumi's left eye twitched.

"So! What will you have?" Kasumi forced a cheery tone.

After Hiraguchi placed her order, Kasumi then began to speak with Ren regarding the Midterms.

"So Kawakami wants us to cook something that is neither curry nor a balanced meal?" Ren parroted Kasumi's explanation.

"Yeah. Seems like they're expecting us to cook something against our usual stuff." She replied as she swung her body left and right while the coffee was being grounded.

Futaba overheard them and then spoke up.

"Well, why not experiment different kinds of food or something?"

"That's not the case, Futaba-san." Kasumi sighed. "Kawakami-sama told me after class that the department will have a meeting regarding the Midterms criteria."

Ren groaned while Hiraguchi chuckled.

"Quite a challenge, Kasumi. Seems like that will put your cooking skills to the t-"

"Actually," Futaba interrupted her, "She's already proven her cooking skills since May."

"Really? With what?"

Ren then gave a smirk. "The seafood pizza."

Hiraguchi's eyes widened. "You made a pizza?"

"Yeah! And I got the highest grade for it!" Kasumi then pondered for a second. "No, I got high grades in most of my cooking exams!"

"Huh." Hiraguchi was dumfounded. "I'm impressed."

Shiho and Ann enter the cafe. Ren and Kasumi greeted them, but only Ann greeted back. Shiho immediately sat next to Futaba as Ann wondered what's wrong.

"Uh, what's wrong with-"

"NOTHING!" Futaba and Shiho answered in unison.

A week later, it is already October as the Hotel and Restaurant Management department is preparing for the Cook-off Exams. What was quite unusual was that Kawakami invited Ryuji as a judge despite his inability to actually judge food before gobbling them up. During lunch break, Haru approached Kasumi as she was waiting for Ren.

"Um, Kasumi-chan?"

"Yes, Haru-sama?"

"Mind if I, um, join you?" She cautiously asked.

"Sure! No problem!" She scoots over as Haru sat next to her.

"About my request for you to help me..."

Kasumi jolted up. "I'm so sorry! I've been busy lately and-"

Haru's giggling stopped her. "It's okay. I just wonder if you and Ren-kun can join me for something later?"

Kasumi gave her a slight glare. "This isn't a proposal for a threesome, right?"

"Threesome? What does that mean?" Haru tilted her head in confusion.

Realizing her mistake, Kasumi shook her head rapidly and told her to dismiss the thought.

"Oh, okay. What I wanted you two to do is you accompany me in giving insights in my upcoming franchise."

"That's it?"

"Yup!"

Ren then arrived and greeted the girls. Haru then asked Ren the same question, to which both he and Kasumi agreed. Chiming with joy, Haru told them to wait for her to finish class....

.

.

.

.... which ended up around 6 pm.

"My apologies! I should have mentioned the time of my last class." Haru gave them an apologetic look.

"It's okay, Haru." Ren reassured her.

The trio then arrived in the small cafe that Haru has been working on for months. Due to how it isn't open to the public yet, Ren and Kasumi were technically her first customers.

"Welcome to Cafe Noir!" Haru joyfully introduced them to the place. The scenery of the place is breathtaking: the lavender walls give the place a sense of peaceful royalty, the ebony and ivory tables offer interesting vibes, the laced counter alongside the bean jars and cookie jars are well-placed, and a familiar motif at the far end near the restrooms gave it a perfect match.

"Why do I have a sinking feeling that the silhouette to the restrooms is-"

"Yes! It was from the dance you did last summer."

Kasumi snickered momentarily before Haru pointed out that she is in the silhouette.

"Shit."

Haru then brewed some coffee for them as she sat down to hear their insights.

"Well," Kasumi began her criticism, "the place is quite relaxing to be in, for starters. Gives you the whole royalty feeling as well. Though the only thing I would point out is the single restroom. What if there are two people who want to use the restroom at the same time, regardless of gender?"

Haru then began to tap her fingers on the table. "Huh. I guess I must have overlooked that possibility."

"But then I have another concern, Haru-sama. The menu itself."

Ren and Haru looked at her quizzically. "Go on."

"Well, this place is quaint for relaxation, but there will be times that people would rather have takeout frappes or cappuccinos than take their time and chill. You need a menu that can offer the drinks and pastries with the balanced order of chill-in or takeout."

Ren snickered at the word 'chill-in', but Kasumi steps on his toes to make him stop. Haru presents to the two her possible menu, and it only took Kasumi 3 minutes to pick out the best options.

"How wonderful!" Haru clapped her hands. "Thank you very much for helping me at last, Kasumi-chan!" She then served the coffee to the two lovers. While Kasumi was enamored to the scent and curiously checked its taste, Ren was very much cautious with his drink.

The cook-off midterm exams has arrived, and the students under the Culinary Division of the Hotel and Restaurant Management department are in their stations for the contest/exam to begin. However, Ren and Kasumi did not like their preset ingredients.

"Red beans... goat chevron... oregano... tomato sauce... hey, what kind of sick joke is this!?" Kasumi furiously yelled.

Ren then examined the other ingredients. "Lemons and squid rings as well... Well, I guess Haru was right about this being random."

Kasumi sighed in defeat and looked around. "I guess everyone is complaining as well."

Ren then observed that the other students, especially Kasumi's seniors, are complaining as well. He then glanced at the bleachers to find Shiho, Futaba, Yusuke, and Ann watching them. However, something seemed off.

"Wait a sec. Where's-"

"WHAT IS BONKIN', EVERYBODY?"

Ren slapped his forehead while Kasumi turned to see Ryuji talking on the microphone. She then noticed Haru and Kawakami facepalming as well.

"TODAY IS YOUR COOK-ON COMPETITION! OH YEAH! NOW Y'ALL BETTER DO YOUR BEST TO GIVE US THE MOST RADICAL DISH WE CAN GET OUR MOUTHS ON!"

Kawakami did the honors and unplugged the microphone before Ryuji would say something else. Haru approached the two lovers as Ryuji and Kawakami began bickering.

"My apologies. Our intended host got sick, so we got Ryuji-kun to do it instead of him being a judge."

"He sure has the energy, Haru-sama." Kasumi forced an optimistic comment. Ren, on the other hand, went brutally honest.

"He has no fucking talent to host or judge anything except for a meat contest or video game expo."

Haru giggled as she wished the two luck. As soon as Ryuji was booted off the stage for the contest to begin, everyone began to scramble around like crazy. Ren and Kasumi remained in their station as they figure out a plan on their improvised dish.

"So how are we going to do this, Ren?"

"We're gonna have to cook the sauce and the goat at the same time. So we fry the squid rings first. For the use of the lemons and the red beans, we use them alongside the sauce."

"Should we work on it separately?"

Ren then took a look at the judges. Unfamiliar faces except for one...

"You got to be fucking kidding me."

Kasumi followed his eyes and saw Sojiro drinking his coffee as he passed by the students.

"Looks like I'm your assistant, Kasumi."

"H-Huh!?" Kasumi is not liking the idea.

"I'll do the chopping and stuff. You deal with the methodology of cooking and all that shit." He then began crushing the beans and making sure they aren't too crushed. Kasumi panicked a bit and began cutting the goat meat into bits while boiling water for the sauce. Sojiro arrived in their station and said nothing to avoid letting the co-judges have an idea on how biased he is.

Nearly 45 minutes have passed, and the duo are nearly done. After finishing the sauce, Kasumi prepares the plates and carefully sets some of the saucy meal onto each plate while Ren counted the number of squid rings and placed them systematically.

"Alright, 3 cooked goat chevron pieces topped with a sauce containing beans and lemon juice... and 4 rings each. Do we still have some for the drinks?"

Ren checked the small ice box and sighed with relief. "I have a plan."

A few minutes later, and the contest was brought to a halt. The students then have to present their dishes to the judges, who sat on the long table by the stage. Nearly two hours later (and probably three big bellies), the judges have then called up the top 10. Kasumi jumped with joy when she was selected in the Top 10. However, there is still one last test for the Top 10.

"ON TO THE SECOND OF ROUNDS! LET'S GET BAKIN', SHAKIN'!"

Everyone in the gymnasium groaned at Ryuji's poor hosting skills to the point where he can hear Futaba yelling, "I don't know this person!"

The ten students were then met with baking materials. The judges have shifted as well as Haru is now one of them while Sojiro returned to the bleachers to meet up with Futaba. The twist of the final test, however, placed Kasumi on edge.

"In the second and final test," Kawakami spoke in lieu of Ryuji, "the students are required to bake the best sweets and pastries they can offer WITHOUT any assistance from their partner. Ready? Go!"

Kasumi stormed into business as Ren walked over with the other students' partners.

"Dude, Yoshizawa really is competitive." A student from the Engineering department whispered to Ren.

"Yeah, and that's how I love her."

"You used to be with Ann Takamaki though. What happened between you two?" A student from the Nursing Department asked.

"Let's just say some things never work out when there are a lot of external factors that pull you away from spending a lot of time with the one you love." He replied.

"So you and Yoshizawa are dating for real? Not anymore a rumor?" A student from the Chemistry department tried to confirm.

"Don't make it a hot topic, if you can." Ren said, close enough for admission.

Kasumi began to stain her clothes as she intensely made the cake and its flavoring. Hoping for the best, she lets out a sigh of relief as she panted from the hard work.

_I just hope my baking skills didn't suck._

Noticing her clothes, she excused herself to change in the restrooms. Ren was then in charge of keeping an eye on her cake. Kasumi returns in time to see the cake rise perfectly and pulls it out for the filling and coating process. Carefully applying the chocolate fondant on top of the chiffon, she managed to form cherry blossoms out of pink and white marshmallows to top the cake.

The timer ends as the ten now have to bring their desserts alphabetically. With her being the last person, Kasumi held onto Ren's hand as she waits for her turn.

"Ren, I'm nervous." She whispered.

"I can tell. Your hands are shaking." He pointed out.

"Normally, I'm not supposed to be scared of something like this. But this is a whole different level. This is something Sumire would be better at." She muttered.

Ren turned her around and looked at her in the eye. "Have faith in yourself, Kasumi."

Kasumi then nods and gave a weak smile. "You always know how to comfort me, Ren. I like that about you."

_"Next up: Kasumi Yoshizawa!"_

"Here goes nothing." Kasumi then grabs the platter and brings her cake to the judges' table. Haru, now taking into account her advice from not too long ago, asked about the cake's description before she would take a bite.

"Yoshizawa-san, mind if you can tell me why you made this cake?"

Kasumi felt jittery as she explained. "Well, I remembered my younger twin baking a cake like this during our Dad's birthday when we were kids. Dad never touched it because he was busy with my gymnastic achievements..." Kasumi held her tears back. "So I made this cake in her honor... a sign that if Dad won't like the cake she made, then maybe you all would."

Haru noticed Ren taking notes on how much ingredients was used for the entire cake. She then bit her cake and beamed as she lets the taste immerse in her tongue and appreciate the cake's deliciousness. The other judges notice Haru's expression and taste the cake as well. Their facial expressions were enough for Kasumi to smile as she bowed and took her leave.

The judges then announce the top notcher of the Midterm Cook-off.

"After thorough discussion and a hard decision to make, we would like to declare the first placer of the cook-off examinations!" Haru then stepped forward and announced the name. "Congratulations, _KASUMI YOSHIZAWA!_ "

Everyone applauded as Kasumi was overwhelmed.

"I... I won?"

Ren kissed her forehead. "Yeah. You did."

Kasumi wiped off her tears as she marched to the stage and made herself known. Haru then gave her comments about the cake.

"Yoshizawa-san, the cake was very delicious. It gave me a nostalgic vibe to when my mother would bake me chocolate fudge brownies while mixing it with the packed marshmallows I would often snack on. Your take in the fudged chiffon cake with white chocolate fondant was marvelous, and that was a close call for us to declare it perfection."

Kasumi bit her lip for a sec. "Thank you so much!" She then sees her friends smiling at the efforts she has done.

After school, the entire group waited for Kasumi outside the gates. The brunette then galloped her way to the gate upon seeing them all there.

"Guys!"

"Ah, there she is!" Sojiro grinned. "You impressed a lot of people, Yoshizawa-san. Especially on how you made the tomato chevron dish."

Yusuke then framed his fingers onto her way. "Your victory is excellent enough to become another art piece!"

"Is there nothing but art in that brain of yours, Yusuke?" Shiho grunted as Ren arrived.

"Excellent work, Kas-" He was cut off by Kasumi jumping onto him and kissing him in the lips.

"Thank you for being there for me, Ren!"

Ren chuckled. "It was all you, though."

Ann then pulled her phone out. "Alright, everyone! Line up for the photo!"

Sojiro grabbed her phone and offered to take the photo instead.

"Say 'YOSHI'!"

"YOSHI!" Everyone chimed as Sojiro took the photo.

"Alright! Time for an all-you-can-eat in LeBlanc!" Futaba proclaimed, much to Sojiro's chagrin.

"How about we eat in Ginza instead?" He tried to divert them away from LeBlanc, but made things worse.

"ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT sushi then!" Ryuji jumped in the air. However, Kasumi then realized that Ryuji hasn't been with Makoto for quite some time now.

"Ryuji-kun, why isn't Makoto-san with us anymore?"

Ryuji remained quiet, earning everyone's attention. He then broke the silence.

"I wish I knew why...."

Meanwhile, in Okinawa National Hospital, a young girl is currently under physical rehabilitation with her legs as she is being guided by two nurses. As she was taking a break, one of the nurses then began to chat between themselves.

"You saw the video I sent you?"

"God, I wish I never watched it. I binge-watched it for days now."

"Not a fan of Yellow Breeze?"

"Nope. But isn't it odd that one of them looks like her?"

The girl heard them for a split second. "Me?"

The nurses caught wind of her voice and stopped their break.

"Our apologies. We shouldn't be focusing on trivial stuff, Miss Yoshizawa."

The Yoshizawa girl then nods her head as she picks up her crutches and prepares for another rehab run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another cliffhanger! Y'all thought it was the moment, huh?
> 
> At last, Haru has been helped! And now, it's Ryuji's turn! BTW, if you know what flavor was the coffee Ren and Kasumi drank in Haru's cafe, then you know how odd tasting it would be.
> 
> With a friend's birthday approaching in the midst of the school festival, can Kasumi make another impression while keeping her surprise a secret? Stay tuned for "Trick Or Treat", as she asks Ren and Akechi for help in surprising that friend!


	26. Trick Or Treat (Pt. 1 - TRICK)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Kasumi manages to overcome the Midterm Cook-off Exam and garnered the first place for a guaranteed high score.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter!
> 
> So I just finished my shit and now I'm back. Though for the next few days, my schedule will be pretty juggled due to few errands involving my school records to yank a job already (which I doubt I could get one due to the pandemic). So Imma upload whenever I'm available until we resume our normal schedule.
> 
> This may be one of the longer chapters in this story since it will cover the latter half of October and has numerous events I would cover up with, so instead of one chapter... I divided into two. We're close to December now for the Interschool Winter Gymnastics to happen!
> 
> With that said, let's get going!

In the sushi restaurant in Ginza, Ren and the group reserved the whole restaurant for the celebration. Much to Sojiro's dismay, he will be paying 30% of it while everyone else splits.

"Just take it easy, alright?" Sojiro begged the group to slow down until he noticed Ren and Kasumi are missing. "Now where did they run off to?"

"Well, Kasumi-chan did say she was gonna do something quick involving load cards." Ann deduced.

"Huh. Maybe she needs more mobile data than I thought." Futaba wondered until Sojiro told her to look for them.

"We're not starting the feast until everyone is present, alright? Go look for them, Futaba."

Futaba then wandered out to look for the two lovers. She then tried calling Ren and heard his phone go off only to lose the sound a few seconds later. Having suspicions, she followed where the sound came from and finds the two doing a quickie in the back of the restaurant.

"Ngh! Ren, more gentle. Please?" Kasumi begged as she was reaching her climax.

"Hang on... Almost done!" Ren grunted.

Mortified, Futaba silently escaped the area and ran back to Sojiro and the others.

"Say, where are they?" Ryuji asked.

"They'll catch up soon." Futaba replied. "It'll be _quick_."

Ryuji and Shiho felt their bones shiver at Futaba's implication while Sojiro and Ann wondered. Ren and Kasumi arrive in the restaurant and made their way to the seats as Futaba, Ryuji, and Shiho suddenly distanced themselves away from them. Nearly 10 minutes later, their food has arrived.

"Thank you for the food!" Everyone exclaimed as they dig in. Not roughly 15 minutes later, and all the food had been consumed.

After bidding farewell to Ryuji, Futaba, Yusuke, Haru, and Sojiro, the remaining 4 travel back to Ann's condominium. Despite trying her best to act normal, Shiho can't help but look back at the accident that occurred and tarnished their eyes.

"Hey, Shiho. Any plans for your birthday?" Ann asked.

"Huh?"

Ann sighed deeply. "Well, from that reaction... I can say that you don't have plans."

"Sorry, Ann." Shiho winced. "I've been too busy with my thesis and the kids' practices... Even I forgot about my own birthday."

Kasumi then heard the two talk in the nearly empty train. "Shiho-san, are you serious?"

"Seems like it. But I'll be fine. At least I ain't using sex money for my budget on whatever I'll be doing." She tried to reassure Kasumi.

When Ren and the three girls arrive, they notice a man sitting by Ann's door. The blonde woman groaned in annoyance and stomped her feet towards him.

"Damnit, Mona! How many times do I have to tell you that I lost my hair dye?!"

"Gah! Lady Ann! I'm not here for that!" Morgan fell after Ann startled him. "It's something else."

Ann huffed as she unlocked the condominium. Kasumi, Ren, and Shiho walk past Morgan as he began explaining.

"It's about Mika."

"What about her?"

"Apparently, she is banned from the entertainment industry for good." Morgan said as Ann and Shiho's eyes widened.

"HUH!? Mika's gone?!"

"Yo, what happened?"

Morgan sat down and requested some coffee, to which Ren excused himself to prepare one for him. Kasumi remained quiet as Morgan continued.

"Apparently, every president in the three major studios received emails that contained Mika bribing some producers and staff as well as leaked nudes and a few videos. The whole industry is shut down until further notice, which means you may be back to work around December or so."

Angered by the news, she glared at Kasumi before replying to Morgan. "What about the upcoming fashion lines and auditions we just set up?"

"They're on hold as well. Though this may be a blessing in disguise, Lady Ann. Your reputation as well as 19 others' reputations have been saved by whoever emailed those nasty things." Morgan said as Ren gave him his coffee.

Ann grabbed Kasumi's wrist and dragged her to her bedroom.

"Are you insane!?" Ann hissed while Kasumi shrugged.

"I can only tell you that you took your time, Ann-san. I only received word from Futaba-san that she managed to get new victims to her usual bitching and crocodile shitting."

"But that doesn't mean you have the right to ruin her life!" Ann was furious at Kasumi's actions. However, Kasumi was not one to back down.

"And I'm telling you that the longer you do nothing, the more people she will be using as pawns or faking for her to be the one being abused! You need to stop being sympathetic to your enemies and let them know you are not to be fucked with."

Ann was shocked at how Kasumi _really_ changed. The timid girl she met back then was no longer there; instead, she saw a ferocious woman who is not cowering around. Yet despite her anger, Ann couldn't help but admit that Kasumi may have done the best course of action for now.

"I... I guess you're right." She then sat on her bed and wept. Kasumi then left her alone for a while.

"Dontcha think you were being harsh?" Shiho told Kasumi with an upset tone.

"Was I? I dunno."

"Kasumi, even though you did what you thought was right, that does mean you have the power to make everyone feel like they're in the wrong." Ren shook his head in disagreement.

"Ren!"

"Well, even if Miss Yoshizawa did it... there's no denying that Mika will be arrested and charged with fewer violations and punishments now than later." Morgan said as he finished his coffee. "I'll be going now."

After he left, Shiho went to Ann to comfort her while Ren and Kasumi go for a one-on-one talk.

The next day, Kasumi knocked on Ann's door to apologize to her.

"Hello? Ann-san?"

No response.

"Look, I just want to apologize to you about last night."

Still no response.

"I'm sorry for being harsh on you when you didn't want to be very vengeful."

She then remembered how she was scolded by Ren. Not entirely aggressive, but he was firm with his lecture.

"Ren told me to take it easy on you since you're very emotional. Heh, I guess he should know that since you're his ex-lover and all."

Ann opened the door, showing her half-naked body to Kasumi.

"Don't ask why am I like this. Can you, um, give me two minutes to dress up properly?"

Kasumi waited until Ann got out with a sporty get-up.

"Look, Kasumi-chan... I get it that you're being helpful. But to do something like that is a bit too far, especially that you asked the law-violating gremlin that is Futaba." Ann noticed Kasumi feeling guilty. "But I will accept your apology under one condition."

Kasumi looked up to Ann. "What is it?"

"You're helping me in preparing for Shiho's birthday."

After classes, Kasumi met up with Ann and made their way to LeBlanc for a small strategy meeting. However, when they arrived, there was another strategy meeting taking place.

"Oh! Akechi-san!"

"Ah, good afternoon, Yoshizawa-san." Akechi greeted formally while Ren flashed her a gentle grin.

"Afternoon, ladies."

Kasumi kissed her boyfriend in the lips while Ann sat next to Akechi.

"So what were you two talking about?" Ann asked as she played with her hair.

"We were just talking about that dance video that went viral not too long ago." Akechi spoke with dissatisfaction. "I can't believe that you all had to do that and bring me some bad memories."

Ann's lips formed a smile. "Oh, but don't you love getting pampered by the media and such?"

"To be fairly honest, I fucking hate being famous." The shaggy-haired detective confessed.

"Oh, that reminds me!" Kasumi tapped her cheek. "Ren, Akechi-san.... can you two help us?"

"With what, sweetie?"

"Preparing for Shiho-san's birthday."

Akechi then shifted his body into a comfortable position. "Well, it has been quite a while since we celebrated Suzui's birthday."

"Four years, to be exact. But yeah." Ann spoke with a sad tone. "She's been through a lot lately."

"I can tell." Akechi blurted out. "Though I am not normally the type who prepares for birthdays. I prefer them to be on the spot."

"When's her birthday, by the way?" Kasumi asked, now that she thought about it.

"October 31st. Exactly Halloween." Ann replied.

Kasumi pulled out a notebook and began making a small bullet list. "So we gotta plan this right for Shiho-san to enjoy and-"

"Whoa, take it easy. It's still a few weeks away." Ren calmed her down, but Kasumi stood her ground.

"Uh-uh! I'm not gonna lax out on my own friend's birthday and I'm already helping her best friend set it up."

Ren and Akechi looked at each other. "What do you think, Goro?"

"Well, consider yourself lucky that I have nothing to do this Halloween." Akechi mused.

Sojiro enters the cafe and looks at the four. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Not at all!" Kasumi chimed. "Mind if you can help us out, Sakura-san?"

The rest of the early evening was spent with planning on Shiho's birthday, and luckily neither Shiho nor Futaba (the resident spoiler) entered the cafe.

The university held a school culture festival on October 26 until 28, and for Kasumi... this was a perfect time to let Shiho get distracted while everyone else was busy preparing. Though on the first day...

.

.

.

... "What are you guys doing here!?"

To her dismay, Ann arrived in the school alongside Ryuji, Makoto, Akechi (wearing his old Yellow Breeze costume), Yusuke, and Futaba.

"Is something wrong?" Yusuke asked, catching Kasumi off-guard for a sec.

"N-No! Not at all!"

Shiho and Ren arrive with Haru and Maruki as Kasumi sighed in defeat.

"What's wrong, Kasumi?" Shiho asked.

"Well, this is gonna be crowded as hell." She muttered as they made their way around the school. The group then had fun with some booths, especially Ren when they made their way to the 'Haunted Halls'.

"I'll be right back." He informed the others as he entered the Haunted Halls exhibit. Ryuji knew what is gonna happen and followed him. A few minutes later, the two boys returned with Ren rubbing his head and Ryuji shaking his hand.

"What just happened?" Makoto raised her brows.

"He pulled off another stupid stunt." Ryuji replied.

"I said I'm sorry, alright?" Ren half-assed his apology.

"Yeah, I don't think 'Out of habit' was such an excuse for that."

Kasumi then pulled Ren close to her. "What did you do?"

"Uh..."

_A few minutes earlier..._

Ren carefully sneaked behind a Fine Arts student disguised as the Grim Reaper. The moment she looked away from him, Ren grabbed her and placed his hand on her mask.

"Show me your true form!"

Ryuji karate-chopped Ren in time and apologized to the student, who ran off terrified.

"The hell, man? Again!?"

"Sorry. Out of habit."

"My ass, that was out of habit."

"Ren Amamiya, that wasn't funny!" Kasumi pouted at Ren while everyone laughed.

"Sometimes calling an idiot an idiot is the kindest thing to do." Akechi uttered as Ren glared at him with annoyance.

When the group arrived in the gymnasium, they were already witnessing a dance party.

"Oh! This is wonderful! Let's dance, everyone!" Kasumi urged them to join as she went ahead to the crowd. Ren then received a message from Rise in regards to her special performance this month.

_Cancelled my schedule for the Jazz Jin performance. I was invited to be a judge in U.E.S.'s school festival. Luv ya!_

Ren shook his head as he searched for Rise. He then realized that everyone except Shiho and Maruki were already on the dance floor. Ren joins them only to realize he entered at the wrong timing.

"Wa-BAM! Who's up for another Yellow Breeze dance from Ren Amamiya and his pals?!" Futaba yelled at the microphone, earning a roaring crowd and death glares from Ren, Akechi, Ryuji, Yusuke, Kasumi, Ann, Makoto, and Shiho.

"You're not gonna let that shit go, huh?" Ren cursed as Futaba and the DJ inserted the sound file. Akechi then realized he has fallen into a trap due to his disguise.

"Ah, I let my guard down."

Ren and Ryuji begin the dance as the rest followed to further increase their humiliation. Rise then arrives and takes a photo of the group performing while everyone was shocked at her presence.

_Holy shit, Risette is here!_

_Dude, a celebrity tonight in this year's festival!_

_For real?!_

_I wonder why she's here..._

_Must be because of Yoshizawa... or Amamiya..._

_I heard she has a relationship with one of the faculty._

_Makes sense._

After the dance, Rise yanks the microphone off of Futaba.

"HELLO, EAST SHINJUKU!"

The crowd makes a huge round of applause while Kasumi looked flabbergasted.

"Huh? Risette? I thought tonight was-"

"She cancelled it due to a certain someone inviting her here." Ren explained as he looked at Narukami, who is standing by the door frame.

"TONIGHT, I WILL BE JUDGING STUDENTS WHO WILL BE DANCING IN FRONT OF YOU ALL. HOWEVER, WITH WHAT I JUST SAW.... I THINK WE SHOULD LET THESE PEOPLE DO THE DANCING INSTEAD TO SAVE YOUR TROUBLES. YES?"

Everyone involved in the Yellow Breeze dance hung their heads in shame as they now kicked the hornet's nest.

"For real?" Makoto muttered as she looked at her outfit. "I don't even have the right attire."

"You and I both, Makoto." Akechi hissed. "I knew I should not have worn this Abbachio outfit."

"SO, WHO DO YOU WANT FIRST?" Rise called out as everyone had the same person in mind.

"AKECHI!!!"

"Damnit." The detective hissed as he made his way to the center. Kasumi took the chance to excuse herself from everyone. Narukami catches her for a bit and chats a little.

"Going somewhere, Yoshizawa?"

"Gonna go dress up for the dance." She curtly answered. Narukami nods and lets her go as Ren approached him.

"Been a while, Yu-senpai."

"Not looking bad yourself, Ren. I heard from Rise you're dating Yoshizawa now."

"She's not a bad person, you know."

"I can tell."

After Ryuji marched off the dance floor, Rise called out the crowd once more.

"ALRIGHT, LADIES AND GENTS! LET'S CALL ON TWO PEOPLE THIS TIME!"

Everyone yelled the same name. "YOSHIZAWA!"

Right on cue, Kasumi returns with a hooded coat as she walked towards the center of the gymnasium. She began spinning and prancing as the music played while earning everyone's attention, though initially confusing looks. She grips the coat and tosses it in the air, revealing her outfit and wowing everyone. Sporting a huge red ribbon tying her hair, a red midriff blouse with white polka dots, a red and black checkered skirt, red stockings, and black shoes, Kasumi began to dance her heart out as everyone was mesmerized by her style.

"Such boldness and grace combined." Yusuke muttered.

"Yeah. Like a whole new person is in front of us." Ann remarked.

Kasumi spun and spun until she reached her hand out to Ren while panting and blushing. Ren smiled and joined her as he removed his blazer and grabbed her hand. The two then danced like there was no tomorrow and continued to waltz with style until the music ended. Before Rise can even speak, Ann approached her and whispered something.

"Well, well, well.... I guess Yoshizawa will have a second performance, from what I've heard."

Everyone, Kasumi included, gasped in confusion.

"Now where do I find Shiho Suzui here?"

Shiho froze in fear. "Son of a b-"

"Ah, there you are!"

Ren pulled her in to join Kasumi. "Don't be shy. Coz Ann will be joining."

Speaking of Ann, the blonde enters the dance floor wearing a red shirt that says 'Fire'. black cycling shorts, fishnet stockings, and high-tops. Her hair has been tied to pigtails and is colored with streaks of pink.

"Shiho-san!"

"I have no clue either."

"Hey, Shiho!"

"Ann, what's going on?"

"We'll explain later."

"Ren, you too?!"

The music played as a rapper named Mich Igan began spitting lyrics about how a club can't handle him.

"Just follow our movements, Shiho." Ann whispered to her as she, Ren, and Kasumi went all-out with their steps. Shiho, being a quick learner, managed to get into the groove as they danced their heart out.

Midnight has struck, and everyone feels very exhausted. Shiho thanked and scolded the group for letting her join the shenanigans, but took back the scolding part after Rise approached them and congratulated them for entertaining the whole school.

"Yoshizawa-san! It's been a while." Rise cheerfully said to Kasumi.

"Y-Yeah..." Was all she can reply. Rise dismissed her awkwardness as exhaustion and pats her in the back.

"I'll make up for the cancelled jazz club performance, alright?"

Ren then arrived with a few car keys. "Haru said I can borrow her car to bring you back to the condominium tonight."

Rise then gave a malicious look and smugly commented. "Or you two can do _it_ inside the car."

"Huh?! But it's H-Haru-sama's car!" Kasumi was feeling flustered.

Rise then chuckled and greeted them good night as the two went for the car. As soon as they entered, Ren drove Kasumi back to the condominium in Nakano. However, Kasumi intentionally makes him turn elsewhere and go for an empty place. They exit the car and make out like crazy.

"Sly girl."

"Well, we'll be stressed when we let Shiho-san celebrate, right?"

"True..."

The two then went on to have a moment of euphoria before really heading home.

Meanwhile, in his apartment...

"I can't believe that old lady in Lady Ann's condominium gave me these..."

Morgan was unfortunately the bearer of two bags that an elderly person in the condominium gave to him. Examining the materials, he keeps on reading a name which he thinks is a joke.

"Now why would someone possess the belongings of a girl named Sumire Yoshizawa?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Mich Igan = Flo Rida.
> 
> Kasumi's dance outfit: her Dancing in Starlight outfit  
> Ann's dance outift: also the Dancing in Starlight outfit (minus the nail polish and the cap)  
> Akechi's disguise outfit: Leone Abbachio's outfit
> 
> So this is the 'Trick' portion of the dual-chapter. The next one will be 'Treat'.
> 
> As for Morgan(a) rummaging at the stuff, uh-oh.
> 
> Stay tuned for the next chapter, where the party among friends begins!


	27. Trick or Treat (Pt.2 - TREAT)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Kasumi enlists the help of Akechi and Ren in setting up a surprise party for Shiho as a way to make amends with Ann, but the school festival bought them more time to distract Shiho (and probably let them re-confirm their ideas).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, hey, hey!
> 
> So half of this chapter revolves around Shiho (because it's her birthday, duh!), so this may be the end of her Confidant.
> 
> And speaking of Confidant ends, the next few chapters will have the end of a few Confidants while Kasumi practices, so stay up for that.
> 
> For now, here we go!

"I hope you haven't forgotten about the plan. Suzui's birthday is in four days, after all."

Akechi called the Kasumi and Ann in a conference call.

"We know, Akechi-san." Kasumi groaned before feeling Ren's arm wrapped around her. "We'll meet up around 1 pm later for the confirmations."

"Or you can just say you are currently with Ren at this point and would rather have the meeting at night?" Akechi mused himself with a grin.

"Wha- No, we shou-"

Kasumi was cut off by Ann, who is currently in the balcony. "Yeah, don't slither your way out of this one, Kasumi-chan. You and Ren came back here half-naked and went straight to the room. I had to endure a few moans you made last night."

"A-ANN-SAN!" Kasumi blushed heavily as Ren woke up from her yelling.

"Is something wrong, sweetheart?" Ren groggily asked as he heard Akechi laughed.

"Still can't speak properly after intercourse, Ren?" He teased his frizzy-haired friend.

"Zip it, Goro."

"If you two love birds are done in the bed, mind if you can take a bath and eat the breakfast I just made?" Ann chimed with what could have been a murderous tone.

"I think I'll just drop by there instead." Akechi said as he hung up.

Akechi arrives in Ann's condominium around 10 am and sees that Ann made him some pancakes to eat after his travel.

"Ah, pancakes! You know me so well, Takamaki."

"You're welcome!" Ann cheerfully said until she accidentally splashed water on herself. "Shit!"

Both Ren and Akechi began to ogle at Ann, who wasn't wearing a bra, until Kasumi cleared her throat in disgust.

"Pervs."

"Speak for yourself, Yoshizawa-san." Akechi blankly said.

"Uh, Ren, do you still remember that shirt you bought me years ago?" Ann called out to Ren as she attempted to dry herself up.

"Which one?"

"The one with the golden R in the back."

"Where'd you put it?"

"Third drawer in the pink cabinet."

As Ren went and retrieved her shirt, Ann removes her top and stares at Kasumi and Akechi.

"What?" She then blushed intensely. "Did they get big again!?"

"Wha- I, uh..." Kasumi was struggling to find an excuse.

"Is that a bad thing or-" Akechi gulped as he felt flushed.

"Argh, that's it! No more pills for me, then!" She exclaimed as Ren returned. "Ren, did they get big?"

Ren nonchalantly gropes Ann and shakes his head. Kasumi pouted and stayed away from her boyfriend for a bit.

"What did I do?" Ren asked dumbfounded.

"You touched Takamaki's breasts in front of your own girlfriend." Akechi was not impressed.

"For the record, Sumi's are softer and much more-" Ren didn't finish his explanation as Ann threw a tennis ball onto his head.

The rest of the day went for planning, strategies, and budget until a knock on the door was heard.

_"Hello, Ann?"_

"Crap, it's Shiho!" Ann hissed as Ren, Akechi, and Kasumi gathered the stuff and hid in the bedroom.

_"Helloooo?"_

"Coming!" Ann forced a chime as she opened the door to see Shiho and Morgan. "Oh, Mona?"

"Finally! Lady Ann, I have some news for you." Morgan scurried to the couch and began searching for an online article. "This is regarding Mika and all."

"What is it this time?" Ann crossed her arms while Shiho placed her hands in her pockets.

"It's a public apology to the people she harassed and caused scandals as well as her early retirement. She said she'll just work in the red-light district of Osaka to atone for what she has done."

Shiho then noticed Ann's refrigerator was slightly ajar and looks for something to eat until she noticed frozen pastries.

"Hey, Ann?"

"Yeah?"

"What's this?"

Shiho pulls out the old cookies Kasumi(?) and Ann baked back in the summer.

"Oh, crap! I forgot about those!" She rushed and smelled the dough. "Phew! Still good!"

Morgan then placed his phone back and looked at the cookies. "Are they still edible?"

"Hopefully." Ann murmured. "I remember baking these with Kasumi-chan before...."

Shiho's expression dropped after the realization. "Oh... Sorry."

"It's fine. Though I think I should reheat these while making a few more cookies."

Shiho then looked depressed and just walked to the door.

"Hey, Shiho. Where ya goin'?" Ann called her.

"It's fine. I just remembered something. That's all."

With that, Shiho leaves the condo. Now worried, Ann frowns while Morgan inspected the living room's state.

"Were you planning on something?"

Ann snapped out and saw the plans as Ren, Akechi, and Kasumi were heard in the bedroom playing Tycoon. Luckily, Kasumi's cheerful victory cry was heard after Shiho left. Morgan then asked Ann for an explanation, which then ended up becoming a long story.

Meanwhile, in Shinjuku that night...

"It's not entirely gay to own a gay club, but it's to actually make sure that people who represent the rainbow flag can actually have fun, y'know?"

Kanji Tatsumi, the owner of Paradise Suspicious in Asakusa, was drinking with Ryuji in Crossroads.

"I get ya, man. I mean, they were labeled as outcasts as well by some people."

"And that's why we should open up an all-lesbians club next year."

"But who do you think will manage that club? No way I'm gonna accept the role on management and shit."

Ryuji, though he has a thing for lesbians, admits that he won't be responsible enough to handle something like that as the bell chimed.

"Welcome, welcome!" the barista said as Ryuji turned.

"What the- Suzui?"

"Oh! Ryuji!"

Kanji then noticed the two and stood up. "I'll go leave you two alone for a talk. I'll just go for a smoke."

Shiho thanked Kanji and sat next to Ryuji. "Strongest one, please."

"For real?" Ryuji's eyes widened as Shiho ordered the hard drinks.

"I'm just not myself today, okay?"

Ryuji then secretly texted Ann.

_"Ann, Shiho is in deep shit for some reason. Came into Crossroads and ordered a heavy drink."_

The third day of the culture festival was better than the second day, and for Shiho.... it's just another day of loneliness as Maruki approached her.

"Suzui-san?"

"Oh. Hey, Doc." She answered emotionlessly.

"Is something wrong?" He asked her and received no response. He sat across her and tried his best to counsel her. "You can talk to me about anything, remember?"

Shiho pondered for a bit before opening her mouth.

"Is it my fault?"

"Pardon?"

Shiho sobbed. "Is it my fault that Kasumi is like this now?"

"What do you mean?" Maruki tried to comprehend what she said.

"It's because I told everyone I got hurt.... is this why Kasumi is being a different person now?"

"I'm not certain, but I am confident that you have nothing to do with her sudden change."

"Bullshit! Do you know how much crap she is garnering now?" Shiho yelled, but retracted and apologized. "I'm so sorry."

Maruki received a message and looked at her. "It's alright. Though I take it you received the invite?"

"Invite?" She wiped her tears off. "What invite?"

Shiho checked her phone and sees an invitation from Yusuke. _**HALLOWEEN PARTY IN LeBLANC. DON'T TELL REN or SOJIRO.**_

"Are you going?" Maruki asked her again.

"I... I guess." Shiho sighed.

"Come on now." Maruki stood up as he sees Rumi returning with cotton candy. "You'll be helping me and Rumi in the school events and booths."

Shiho forced a smile. "Sure thing."

Shiho then spent the third day accompanying Maruki and Rumi, unaware that Maruki had Yusuke's phone the whole time.

October 31. Halloween has come as people run around the city with costumes of witches, werewolves, or zombies. But for Shiho Suzui...

.

.

.

... she was only wearing tattered wedding dress with dark makeup, supposedly to look like a zombified bride.

"Shit." She sighed deeply. "I'm just gonna go back to my normal clothes."

She removed the makeup and reverted back to her beautiful self as she left her apartment and roamed around the city on her way to LeBlanc. On the way to Shibuya, she bumps into Kasumi.

"Oh, Shiho-san!"

"K-Kasumi?"

Kasumi wears a black short-sleeved turtleneck shirt with a red vest that has 'Made in Heaven' written on the back, black compression shorts under red cycling shorts, brown boots, and fingerless gloves.

"Fancy seeing you here, huh?" Kasumi beamed while Shiho looked confused.

"Um, are you supposed to be some biker?"

"I guess. I only saw this online and bought it for 15,000 yen."

Shiho dropped her jaw at the sound of the price. "Fifteen thousand yen only!?"

"Yep! In fact, I just bought it this morning at the last minute!"

Shiho groaned in defeat. "You're lucky..."

"Why aren't you in costume though?" Kasumi asked.

"Eh, I just don't feel like it." She sighed until she saw Kasumi removing her vest. "Kasumi, what are y-"

"Here ya go!" The brunette offered the ravenette the red vest. "It'll fit you!"

Shiho accepts the vest as wears it. "Thanks."

"No worries, birthday girl."

"What?"

"Nothing!"

Shiho furrowed her brows. _I swore I heard her say 'birthday girl' a second ago..._

The girls arrived in Yongen-Jaya as they notice Futaba wearing a frog jumpsuit.

"Ribbit!" Futaba joked around.

"A frog suit? Scary." Shiho sarcastically said until she felt Kasumi hide behind her. "Huh?"

"F-F-Frogs....." Kasumi trembled as Shiho glared at Futaba.

"What? You think I might have triggered some sort of PTSD on Kasumi with this frog outfit?" Futaba exclaimed.

"Just take off the hood, Futaba."

Futaba takes off the hood and mask. "See, Kasumi? It's me, Futaba!"

Kasumi peeked out and sighed in relief. "Thank goodness!"

Futaba and Shiho decided to dismiss asking Kasumi about her symbiotic relationship with frogs as they enter LeBlanc. Ryuji and Ren then pop the party poppers as everyone shouted.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHIHO!"

"What the-"

Shiho was perplexed and overwhelmed. She did not expect this as Kasumi pulled out something from her bag.

"Happy Birthday, Shiho-san."

Shiho, who just had a sudden guilt trip and depressive fit due to her thinking that she caused Kasumi's emotional damage and sudden personality change, gave the gymnast the biggest hug she can give as she cried.

"Thank you..... so much...."

Futaba took the chance to take the photo.

"But.... how?" Shiho asked as she lets Kasumi go.

"You can thank Ann-san for that." She smiled as Shiho looked at Ann, who was wearing a red latex bodysuit and a cat mask.

"Are you supposed to be Catwoman or something?" She poked fun of Ann.

"Y-Yeah. Glad someone called me by the real heroine instead of saying 'Sexy Kitty' or 'Cougar'." She emphasized the last word onto Morgan, who was wearing an outrageous outfit.

"What are you? Some mutated giraffe?" Kasumi held the urge to laugh.

"Hey! Not my fault I was invited at the last second!" Morgan defended himself.

Shiho then looked at everyone else: Makoto was wearing a blue tanktop with black cargo pants and boots, Ren was wearing a costume akin to a mercenary's attire, Yusuke was dressed up like a shogun, Haru was dressed up as what she would call a 'Beauty Thief', Ryuji as some sort of superhero with a red cape and a yellow suit, Sojiro wearing some sort of 1930's gangster, Maruki wearing a gold outfit with a mask that is taller than his head, and Akechi wearing a police uniform.

"Uh, Makoto... don't you and Akechi look... under-dressed?" Shiho pointed out.

"Oh, these are our actual costumes!" Makoto explained. "Akechi-kun is supposed to be a rookie police officer while I'm the battle-hardened one..."

"Pursued by two behemoths hellbent on killing us at all costs." Akechi concluded. "Though I doubt we will be needing someone who can mutate into some sort of hideous beast."

"And Ren here is supposed to play as Makoto-san's partner, which makes sense since boyfie here quips up a lot of jokes to amuse himself with." Kasumi pouted as Shiho looked at her cake.

"Wait a second... these are-"

"The cookies you saw from a few days ago!" Ann cheerily said. "Since Kasumi-chan said that the cookies can be reheated and melted, we had the idea of merging it with your cake!"

Shiho then takes a bite on the cake and hummed with delight. "MMMMM! SO DAMN GOOD!"

The rest of the evening was spent with joy as Shiho was glad everyone remembered her birthday. As midnight struck, everyone called it an evening and had a group photo together. Kasumi, Ann, Morgan, and Shiho walked back together as they take a short break in Big Bang Burger for a midnight snack.

"These shots are amazing!" Ann said as she removed her mask.

"Yeah. Which makes me wonder..." Morgan turned to Shiho. "Would you like to join the New Model search next year?"

"M-Me?" Shiho pointed at herself.

"Oh, yeah! You should definitely join, Shiho!" Ann sounded excited.

"Um, mind if I think about it though?"

"Sure. No pressure." Morgan reassured as he noticed Kasumi's gift still unwrapped.

"Aren't you going to open my gift, Shiho-san?" Kasumi asked as she chomped on the burger.

Shiho then removed the wrapped and her eyes glittered as she saw two new items: a green jacket with the number 5 embroidered on the left breast area, and black boots with green soles.

"Holy crap.... this is amazing, Kasumi! I can finally look stylish with these!"

Kasumi gave a small smile. "Anything for my new best friend, right?"

"Yeah. You, me, and Ann are like Charlie's Angels this time!" Shiho cried out.

"Am I the Charlie?" Morgan was shot down with three 'No's from the girls, who giggled with fun.

Shiho then looked at Ann and Morgan. "Mind if I talk with Kasumi in private?"

"Huh? Sure, Shiho."

As Ann and Morgan went out for a bit, Kasumi looked puzzled as Shiho began talking.

"You know, I wasn't feeling well for the past few days. I just.... I just felt guilty for putting you through hell, you know?"

Kasumi remained quiet.

"Sometimes, I wish I didn't check on you on that day."

"Yet you have. And honestly, it feels quite alright." Kasumi replied.

"Surely you have friends back in Okinawa or whatever to be accepting with these kinds of situations and stuff." Shiho flashed a weak smile, but was apologetic after seeing Kasumi frown.

"I... actually don't have friends back home." Kasumi looked down at her unfinished burger. "I don't know if I told you this before, but everyone just wants to be my friend because of how famous I am. Genuinely, no one wants to be my friend for who I am."

Kasumi felt a hand on top of hers as Shiho looked at her. "Don't get the wrong idea, alright? I'll be your friend no matter what. And everyone else feels the same to you. Ren, who is technically your boyfriend now, Ann, Ryuji, Yusuke, Futaba, Haru, Maruki, Akechi... I know there's still some time for you to know Makoto, but do remember that we're always here for you."

Kasumi wiped her tear off. "Yeah... what are best friends for?"

The two girls giggled as Ann and Morgan returned.

In Okinawa National Hospital, the unnamed Yoshizawa girl looked at her parents as they talked to the police. Knowing that it's not her business to interfere, she checks on the online forums and looks at one of the new posts. She clicked it open and notices a photo of herself dancing with Ren, Ann, and Shiho.

"Wait a sec..." The girl zoomed in and looked at the header. "Kasumi Yoshizawa catches crowds attention at school festival....."

She then looked at Ren.

"This boy..."

"Kasumi?" Her father called her out.

"Hang on.... My name is Kasumi. And her name is Kasumi...."

"Kasumi, dear..." Her mother called her out.

"Does that mean..."

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Her dad asked her as someone opened the door to their room.

"Shinichi and Hanaki Yoshizawa?"

"Yes?" Both parents confirmed.

"Mind if I talk to your daughter for a moment?"

The unknown person was then left alone with this Kasumi girl.

"Miss Yoshizawa?"

"Yes?""

"Tell me what you remember so far."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit.... the real Kasumi is about to learn a lot of things since her coma. The question is... who is asking her?
> 
> Also, for the costumes, here are the references:
> 
> Kasumi - Claire (classic RE2)  
> Futaba - Sgt. Keroro  
> Ren - Carlos (RE3 Remake)  
> Ann - her literal Phantom Thief outfit  
> Haru - also her Phantom Thief outfit  
> Yusuke - dressed up similar to Shadow Madarame albeit in a light blue color instead of gold  
> Makoto - Jill (RE3 Remake)  
> Akechi - Leon (classic RE2)  
> Sojiro - Al Capone  
> Maruki - The World  
> Ryuji - Saitama
> 
> With her bond with Shiho Suzui solidified to its strongest, who else will Kasumi earn full trust with as the competition draws near? Stay tuned for "We Are Together", for she finishes a few bonds while beginning two more!


	28. We Are Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Kasumi surprises Shiho on her birthday despite the latter's guilt trip. Elsewhere, another Kasumi investigates the news revolving around her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Newwwww chapter!
> 
> The following Confidants end in this fic:  
> \- Ann  
> \- Haru  
> \- Yusuke (If I mentioned before that his confidant was done, it isn't.)
> 
> Confidants to feature in this chapter:  
> \- Ryuji
> 
> Confidants pending to be done:  
> \- Ren
> 
> I know I said 2 new confidants, but I ended up hounding on one confidant so I decided to make it one instead.
> 
> With that said, lezzgo!

Days after Shiho's birthday, it was Ann's turn to celebrate her birthday. Although she did tell Kasumi rather than letting her guess, she did have the perfect way to celebrate it with her two best friends.

"Really?!"

"Mm-hmm!"

"A model shoot with you.... Awesome!"

Ann was ready to express her 21st birthday with style, although she now remembered that Ryuji somewhat never told them about his birthday.

"Maybe we should get Ryuji to celebrate with us? I mean, his birthday was last July... but he never contacted us." She pondered.

"Maybe he was with Makoto-san having sex and all...." Kasumi blatantly assumed, causing Ann to blush intensely.

"H-Hey! Don't say stuff like that in public!"

"I was just guessing though."

The two then arrived in Cafe Noir, which was beginning its soft opening to the public. In the counter, the fluffy-haired woman greeted the two with a warm smile.

"Oh, Kasumi-chan! Ann-chan! Wonderful to see you here!"

Ann waved back and gazed at the place. "Wow! This place is amazing, Haru!"

"Ehehe. I couldn't have done it without Kasumi-chan here." She giggled as Kasumi looked at the menu.

_Today's Special Dessert: Blossoming Chiffon_

Kasumi then smiled a bit, looking that the cake that won everyone's heart (and the Midterm) has made it to the menu of a cafe.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot you made that cake, Kasumi-chan." Ann sheepishly spoke until she was aware that Kasumi remained silent and continued looking at the cakes.

"I wanna taste the brownie cake you made, Haru-sama." She eagerly said.

"Oh, you can call me Haru. Remember?"

"R-Right!"

The girls were caught off-guard when Ryuji waltzed in the cafe.

"Oh, Ryuji-kun!" Haru chimed. "Pleasure to see you!"

"Oh. Hey." He responded dejectedly. "Mind if I can have a Choco Java frappe and a few brownies?"

Ann's eyes widened at the very moment of Ryuji ordering sweets.

"This is unexpected of you, Ryuji." She muttered.

"Eh, whatever."

Kasumi then pouted and stomped his toes.

"OW! WHAT THE HELL!?"

Luckily for Haru, no one else was around to hear Ryuji yelling like bloody murder.

"You come here to a peaceful and pleasant cafe to drown yourself in whatever damn sorrow you're sulking onto?!" Kasumi blared, causing Ryuji to wince in guilt.

"Ah, shit... You're right. Sorry for the trouble, Haru. I'll just leave instead..."

He then felt a strong arm drag him back to the seat. And it sure as hell wasn't Kasumi or Ann.

"Ow! My arm! What the f- H-Haru?"

In front of him wasn't the sweet woman Ren unfortunately used to compromise the corruption of society, but instead was a bedeviling sadist who nearly broke his arm just for a talk.

"I appreciate you apologizing, Ryuji-kun, but leaving here without telling us why is very, very, VERY rude." She giggled after saying this, causing Ann and Ryuji to shiver in fear. Meanwhile, Kasumi then grabbed him a few brownies while she asks Ann to prepare a frappe, something Haru was _quite delighted_ to see from Ann. After doing so (and barely surviving Haru's gaze), Ann and Kasumi sighed in relief as Ryuji began talking.

"It's about me and Makoto." He began. "Last night, we managed to do the dirty without any protection. But for some reason, she didn't feel enamored or satisfied with our performance. And it wasn't the first time."

Kasumi snorted and tried to make a joke, but Ryuji cuts her off by continuing.

"I had this suspicion she's seeing someone else, and as much as it pisses me off.... what can I do?"

Ryuji slammed his head onto the table, oddly sparing the frappe cup from spilling.

"I'm only her boyfriend because Ren suggested me to her. And to make it really awkward, we had sex hours after we met which was hours after they had sex."

Ann groaned in annoyance. "Just get to the point! You talking about sex is becoming weird and it's making me-"

"Horny?"

"Kasumi-chan!" Ann blushed hard, earning a stifled chuckle from Ryuji. "The hell you're laughing for?!"

Ryuji stopped chuckling. "Sorry. It's been a while since I saw you get flustered about that topic. Normally, Ren would tease you about it or how sloppy you were or how you gave more pain than-"

Ann smacked him in the face while saving the other smack for Ren.

"Can I finish first?" He cried as he held his cheek. Ann nods while Haru blushed.

"So I asked Takeishi and Nakaoka, my old pals, to spy on Makoto... and sadly, she's been sleeping with every police officer in Shibuya."

The eyes of Ann and Haru widened while Kasumi remained deadpan.

"She's been hooking up with the single ones, so I figured she's looking for a guy who can love her romantically while keeping her in tabs with her work." He stared at his reflection in the window. "And then there's me...."

Ann never anticipated the day Ryuji would depreciate himself to the max.

"Stupid, poor, an asshat, violent, perverted, naive, irresponsible, and unacceptable."

Kasumi then karate-chops his head hard, causing him to bounce off the table.

"SONUVAB- COME ON!"

"Enough moping, Ryuji-kun!"

Her sudden attitude change was scary for someone the likes of her.

"Here you are, making yourself look like a fool because you think Makoto-san doesn't love you for who you are?"

Ryuji then looked at Kasumi while rubbing his head.

"If she's really after other guys because she thinks you're seeing her as a sexual outlet, then fine! See if I care! But don't you fucking dare say you're nothing compared to whoever she sits on!"

Ann facepalmed and groaned in embarrassment while Haru just nodded.

"And even if Mako-chan doesn't return the feelings, you just need to move on."

Ryuji sighed and looked at the girls. He then pulls out 10,000 yen and thanked them. But before leaving...

"Oh, yeah. Kasumi?"

"Yes?"

He then grinned the biggest shit-eating grin. "You talk like you're an expert in this stuff, considering you slept with Ren for the first time nearly two months ago."

Kasumi can feel her blood drain as Ann and Haru looked at the brunette.

Ann's birthday has arrived, and although the morning was spent with Haru, Shiho, Futaba, and Kasumi, Ann herself was still nervous about her idea.

"Yo, Ann! You're spacing out a bit." Futaba called her attention.

"Oh? Sorry. I know it's my birthday, but I feel nervous..."

"Nervous about what?" Shiho tilted her head as a knock on the door was heard. Before Haru can walk to the door, a fanfare was heard outside. And Ann can do nothing but hide her face as she knows who is capable of that as the door swung open.

"Oh, Happy Birthday to the most gorgeous women in the world! Happy Birthday to the one who stole my heart! Oh, Happy Birthday from them and me to yoooooouuuu! Oh, Happy Birthday, my Lady Ann!" Morgan sang, but to his dismay Ann did not pay attention.

"Please tell me it's over." Or so he thought.

"It's over, Lady Ann." Ann then removed the pillow and sees Morgan with a cake. "Castella. Just like you asked."

Ann bites the cake and hums in joy! "Thanks, Morgan! Even if it is one-sided, you're such a great friend!"

"Ooohh! Apply cold compress to the burn, Mona!" Futaba jested.

"Hello? 911? Someone is hurt from a heartbreak!" Shiho followed up, annoying Morgan already.

"Alright, alright! I get it! Sheesh." An idea popped into his head. "Say, Lady Ann..."

"Yeah?"

"Did you get your recruits for the modelling gig tonight?"

"Yeah! Kasumi-chan and....." Ann realized she never had a second pick. "Huh."

Morgan gave a sly grin. "Mind if we can nominate Lady Shiho here?"

Shiho immediately picked that up and jabbed his arm. "No way! Nuh-uh! Not in a million years, you moron!".....

.

.

.

..... And in the end, Shiho was the chosen one.

"Aw, cheer up, Shiho! Just do it for me. Please?" Ann pleaded Shiho to have fun with her in the modelling shoot as Yusuke was invited by Morgan to assist in the photography.

"Fine, but I gotta ask...." Shiho then looked at her clothes. "Why the fuck am I exposed while the two of you are covered?!"

Shiho is wearing a dark blue coat with an embroidered patch of the company making the product and silky sleeves that cover a white and black tank blouse that exposes her cleavage. For the legs, she wears a dark blue knee-length skirt and black boots.

"Your fault you picked Door #2, Shiho-san." Kasumi snickered, much to Shiho's chagrin.

Meanwhile, Yusuke looked at the girls and secretly took photos of them having fun. He gave a small smile as he suddenly became interested in taking shots until Morgan cleared his throat.

"We're ready now, everyone!" He announced as Haru, Futaba, and Ryuji (who was told by Haru to join along as a way of calming down) sat behind Morgan, Yusuke, and Mishima, who acts as effects specialist.

Ann stepped into the center with her hair down as she wore a white and green jacket with a clover embedded in the upper left sleeve, a gray frilled blouse, black jeggings, and her signature brown boots. Her special feature was the heart necklace Ren bought her years ago.

"Ready, Lady Ann!"

"Ready whenever!" She then switched to a daring pose to begin the shots. From sassy to sexy to chic to feisty, Ann killed the floor with her modelling skills as Mishima suddenly hears Yusuke laughing by himself.

"More... gimme more, Ann! Unleash the feral beast that resides in you!"

Ann now got more expressive in her poses, to the point where Kasumi and Shiho got nervous.

"Shit...." Shiho can only curse in fear.

"Ann-san sure is a dominating force out there...." Kasumi whispered as Morgan called its end.

"Wonderful, Lady Ann!" He clapped his hands. "This will surely bring things back to normal in the entertainment industry."

"Y-Yeah, but I actually have another announcement to make."

Everyone looked at Ann, who was suddenly sweating.

"I.... I'm going back to school this spring!"

She closed her eyes and hoped she didn't screw up. She instead heard applause from Shiho, then Kasumi, then everyone. And lastly, Ren gave the last sounds of clapping as he, Akechi, and Makoto showed up. Ryuji may not have been verbal about it, but he did notice Akechi and Makoto holding hands.

"We're proud of you, Ann!" Ren cheered as he pulled out his surprise. "Happy Birthday."

Ann took the gift and hugged him before remembering Kasumi was behind her. "Thanks for remembering, Ren."

Morgan interrupted their mood and called out Kasumi, who was holding a checkered cape/blanket/sheet on her right hand while dressed up in a striped raglan shirt, red leggings, and sneakers. Morgan knew what she was doing and smiled.

The moment Kasumi began her poses, they were a mix of bold, beautiful, bizarre, and brilliant expressions. Yusuke was enjoying so much that he kept asking Kasumi to pose in whatever way she can. Kasumi wraps the blanket/cape/sheet onto her shoulders and tries out a seductive pose. Pulling down her leggings to reveal her lacy pink underwear while holding her head as if she orgasmed, the group felt hot for some reason while Yusuke asked for more. Mishima elbows him to avoid more raunchy poses as Morgan finished her session.

"Did I do well?" Kasumi asked everyone, who was blushing a bit or avoiding her gaze.

"I... uh..." Ren couldn't say anything.

"Well, Kasumi-chan... I..." Ann as well.

"Damn me and my libido." Ryuji grunted in defeat.

"It was quite... uh..." Akechi was the only one closest to forming a sentence.

"Uhhhh....." Futaba just looked dumbfounded.

"Um, K-Kasumi-chan..." Haru blushed even more.

"W-Well, um..." Makoto was too embarrassed to comment.

"I'm so dead." Shiho remarked as Morgana called her up.

After what could have Shiho's first and only time modelling, the group decide to part ways after greeting Ann once again. However...

.

.

.

.... "Hey, Makoto."

Ryuji still had unfinished business.

"Oh. Ryuji... Um, do you want to ride home with me?" She sounded nervous while Akechi looked from afar. The shaggy-haired man then called Ren out.

"Do me a favor and spare me from Sakamoto's violent tendencies." He whispered to Ren, who then sighed at the meaning of it.

"So you were the one Makoto has been seeing behind his back."

"Oh, are you sure you want me to ride with you? Coz apparently, _AKECHI_ is waiting for you." The punk blonde's voice was icy, indicating his anger.

"Oh, he will only go down in-"

"Let me guess: the legislative district... which is 5 kilometers away from your house?"

Makoto wasn't going to put up with his crap. "Okay, what are trying to imply?"

"You're sleeping with one of my friends, damnit!" Ryuji yelled loud enough for everyone to stop in their tracks. "You've been fucking him behind my goddamn back, and yet you had the fucking balls to say you'll work overtime while I struggle with my own shit!?"

Shiho began the murmuring. "Hey, what's going on?"

"Stay quiet, Shiho." Ann prompted as the argument went on.

"Oh, you're suddenly saying I'm at fault? Is it my fault that you take me to dates just to have sex afterwards? Is it my fault that I have to do erotic actions to satiate your thirst? Is it my damn fault I have to keep excusing myself just to put you out of trouble? It's your damn fault for being like this, Ryuji!"

"Like hell! We've shared a lot of stuff together, Makoto! I don't just see you as someone to remove my sexual tension with! Don't you know that I'm already trying my best to be someone I'm not!?"

"I'm not asking you to be someone you're not, Ryuji Sakamoto!"

"You jumping from one guy to another is already a way of saying that, Makoto Niijima!"

"Now why the hell would you assume that!?"

"COZ IF YOU WERE SMARTER THAN I THOUGHT, YOU WOULD HAVE THROWN AWAY THE FUCKING PREGNANCY TEST I FOUND!"

Everyone stopped in their tracks. Time froze around them as the two lovers (?) continued.

"That's right..." Ryuji pulled the test out and tossed it to Akechi. "Congratulations, Akechi. You're the dad."

Akechi looked at him quizzically. "I'm sorry, but even though I am dating Makoto behind your back...."

Makoto started sobbing and dropped to her knees.

".... But I never slept with her."

Ryuji was in shock. "Wha-"

Kasumi, despite her mental idea to let them argue on their own, couldn't resist the urge to bash Makoto.

"So you do admit to sleeping with different police officers!"

Makoto kept crying as Kasumi went on.

"Ryuji-kun had his suspicions, but your reaction just now is proof of the truth."

Makoto sniffed the tears off. "I'm really sorry, Ryuji... I just couldn't tell you..."

Ryuji balled his hand into a fist as he asked further.

"When did you use that test?"

"L-Last August."

This then confused Ryuji. "Hold on... I only starting suspecting you since September..."

"It was an ex-boyfriend of mine." Makoto started to confess. "We just saw each other one day, talked about stuff, and in the end we fucked like the old times."

Ren then took his guess. "This is the same one before we began...."

"Y-Yes." Makoto sobbed again. "It's not that I did it intentionally...."

Kasumi showed no remorse with her next question. "So was that ex of yours a police officer?"

"He is, but he isn't from Tokyo."

Kasumi shook her head and looked at Ren, who looked at her to deal with the situation.

"I'm sorry for this to happen, Ann...."

"Hey."

Makoto stopped crying and looked at Kasumi.

"You have to be truthful now, okay?"

Makoto nods her head.

"Do you love Akechi-san?"

She shook her head, earning a sigh from Akechi.

"Figured much. I was nothing but an intellectual pain in the ass to her anyway."

"How about Ryuji-kun?"

Another shake, breaking Ryuji even more.

"Makoto....."

"I'm so sorry... I don't know, okay? I don't know who to love anymore...."

Kasumi looked at Ann and gestured her to help her up. Ann then assisted Kasumi in carrying Makoto and avoiding her tendency to drop.

"Even if you don't love anyone of them, you still have us."

Makoto turned to Ren, her only non-official relationship. "You said you're hard to read back then, Makoto. I guess we were both wrong at that."

"Ren..."

"I'm not saying this as someone who had relations with you. I'm speaking as someone who genuinely cares about you as a friend."

Akechi chuckled and walked towards Makoto. "Although I was somewhat enjoying our time dating since June, I see you more as a friend who is durable on the outside, but fragile on the inside."

Ann then looked at Makoto. "We all have our ups and downs, but we always have those shoulders to cry on and hands to reach out for help."

Yusuke went next. "And that right there is the beauty of friendship. We don't abandon our own, even if we get betrayed at some point."

Shiho followed up. "Just keep in mind that if you'll be pinned to the wall with so much pressure and fear, have one person be at your side to conquer it all."

Haru then placed her hand on Ryuji's shoulder. "Mako-chan, even if you don't love Ryuji back.... he is willing to do whatever it takes to make you feel loved."

Futaba whistled before speaking. "And before you know it, maybe Ryuji might be a better dad despite it not being from his own ba-"

Her mouth was shut by Morgan. "Quit ruining the moment, gremlin!"

Kasumi was the last to give her advice. "You can still love Ryuji-kun platonically, but do remember that he will always be your comrade. Family goes beyond blood, so if your sister... wherever she is nowadays since we last met... will disapprove of your dilemma, then we're here for you."

Makoto teared up as she came to a realization: she's not raising the unborn child of her stupid ex-boyfriend from college alone; she has her friends.

"Ryuji?"

"Yeah, Makoto?"

"Can you kiss me again? I... want to work things out, if that's okay."

Ryuji gave a weak smile as he and Makoto locked lips as everyone cheered. Kasumi looked at Ren, who gave an air kiss to her as she blushed and giddied with excitement. However, she suddenly hears faint voices in her head.

_......I c......one......ve._

_Ho..... whe..... re....._

Two days later was the grand opening of Cafe Noir, now with an exclusive spot for Haru and her friends to chill around. On Opening Day, Kasumi sat with Ren as they look at Ann, Shiho, Haru, Ryuji, and Makoto settle things down while Yusuke watched over the coffee being brewed.

"I realized something."

"Yusuke-kun?"

Kasumi looked at Yusuke, who suddenly smiled.

"Two nights ago was the biggest challenge we had as a group. We were expecting broken bonds, yet we just strengthened it with discoveries and advice."

Ren nods his head as he looked at Makoto and Ryuji. "They may not be an actual couple with a child born from their genes, but I'm guaranteed that Ryuji will have no problem being a surrogate dad."

Kasumi smiled. "I dunno if I helped, but I hope Makoto-san doesn't hate me for being too harsh."

"You kinda pressured her though." He kissed his girlfriend the lips.

"You sly dog." She remarked as Yusuke laughed again.

"Truly, I think I have found my last inspiration for the last art I will ever be painting." He said gloriously and remorsefully.

"But why?" Kasumi asked with concern.

Yusuke then frowned for a second. "Truth be told, I cannot just rely on my paintings alone to live my life. Sadly, I was forced to cook Romeo and Juliet to realize how unfortunate my life has been."

"Who?" Kasumi asked as Ren told her that he ate his pet lobsters.

"I'm so sorry, Yusuke-kun."

"It's alright. If by any chance this final piece will grant me a fortune, then I shall make a copy for each one of us to own." He spoke with glee as Haru returned.

"Thank you so much, Kasumi-chan!"

"No worries, Haru-san."

"Our words from not too long ago to Mako-chan reminded me of something." Haru then began telling her life lesson. "Father's joy was never passed on and it blackened to become a hatred that bred the populace and entertained the filthy and deceiving influences. With this cafe I made from scratch, I hope that the joy I have forced on my own is now felt by everyone in the cafe."

Kasumi beamed at Haru, making her happy. "This joy will never go away, Haru-san."

Ren smiled back at Haru. "Thank you. And I-"

"No need to apologize, Ren-kun. Just be a good man to Kasumi-chan. That's enough of an apology for me." She chuckled as she went to the kitchen to place the cakes on display.

Ren then cuddled with Kasumi as Ann approached and sat across them.

"Mind if I can be a third wheel?" She giggled.

"Another realization, Ann-san?" Kasumi rolled her eyes playfully.

"Well, technically...." She winced initially, but regained her game face. "It is. Remember when we first talked that I want to rekindle every relationship I had severed in the past?"

Kasumi nods while Ren looked at them talk.

"Well, not only did you rekindle my broken friendship, you also made me and Ren friends again despite all that awkward shit we went through.... And for making us more than friends."

Kasumi blushed. "Huh?! W-Wait! I-"

"You made us into a family!" Ann cheerfully declared, averting Kasumi's assumption of Ann's sexuality.

"O-Oh. I, uh, see...."

Suddenly, Futaba bursts into the cafe with a toothy grin and a bunch of new magazines.

"NEW ISSUE OF FAB ZONE IS HERE!"

Everyone gathered around to see the cover. Murmurs and whispers began to float around as the group then sees the cover.

"Wow! All three of us are in the cover!" Ann clapped her hands with a happy look. Shiho, on the other hand, said otherwise.

"What the hell!? Of all poses, they use the one I felt most awkward with!?"

"Well, I do find your pose alluring, Shiho-san." Makoto tried to lighten her mood up.

"This isn't alluring! The left side of the blouse was about to show my whole boob, so I had to hold it up and awkwardly, while I was at it."

"It seems quite wonderful of that pose, Shiho." Yusuke mused until he critiqued the cover. "Although I will agree that the pose was chosen wrong..."

"Who the hell edited all this shit on the cover!?"

"I'm pretty sure it was Mishima. Knowing Mona, I-"

Before Ann can finish, Shiho rolled her sleeves up and cracked her knuckles. "I'll show that little bastard how to make a front cover!"

Ann then chased after Shiho as the others laughed.

What they didn't know was that the magazine would be the beginning of something else....

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**BONUS ART: The cover photo used in Fab Zone (No texts)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're near the end game now. And I am so sorry for the very, very long chapter. I got too divulged in typing that I realized it took me three hours to type and review.
> 
> Also, I know this was unexpected of Makoto on becoming a literal Mom-koto, but we do barely see her in most of the chapters we've traversed together until now. And this chapter does have the title "We Are Together", so it makes sense that we are looking at one theme in this chapter.
> 
> Speaking of which, y'all noticed her mental voices fading in?
> 
> Stay tuned for "Mental Preparation", where school and the competition begins to pressure Kasumi into balancing her time well!


	29. Mental Preparation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Kasumi and company spend time with Ann on her birthday as Ryuji and Makoto get into a controversial argument that ends with the group consoling them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! I got really bored so I decided to make this chapter. (And currently typing the next chapter of The War That Ends The World, as we speak)
> 
> To anyone who is from Japan and reading this, please correct me if I have the grading system in reverse or not.
> 
> I kinda changed the maximum number of chapters for this fic from 38 to 44 since I estimated the length of the Interschool Winter Gymnastics arc, and damn it is very long. So I'll cut it down to two chapters, so stay tuned for that.
> 
> With that said, let's get a move on.

Kasumi arrives to school later than usual, and to her dismay she received a chalk toss from the wretched Ushimaru, who Shiho described as a 'menace since high school that hunts you down like a wolf'.

"Yoshizawa! You're late. AGAIN."

Kasumi said nothing as she scurried to her seat. Ushimaru shook his head and decided to pin her with a question.

"Alright then. Better answer this, superstar!"

_Crap._

"In which country does the leader get to be called as 'man in black'?"

"Pfft. Easy. Japan." She answered without hesitation as she felt chilly all of a sudden.

_What the hell? Why am I feeling cold suddenly?_

Ushimaru gestured her to sit after answering correctly. Kasumi then tries to fan herself with her shirt to avoid sweating until she noticed that she wasn't wearing a bra.

_H-Huh? Did anyone notice my tits? I could have sworn I was wearing o-_

She then remembered what happened earlier.

_Riiiiight. Ren and I had sex in the shower so much I forgot to dress properly._

She reaches her hand inside her jeans to make sure she is at least wearing underwear. To her relief, she is. Her head shot up when the old teacher then made an announcement.

"By the end of this semester, I will no longer be teaching here since I will retire."

Silence filled the room.

"Well? Aren't you all gonna celebrate?" He dared the class. Kasumi then spoke up.

"Why should we? This is our first time attending your classes for an entire semester. We didn't expect this to be your last."

Ushimaru looked at her with murderous intent before sighing. "You're right."

He then tossed the chalk onto the person at the far back.

"Suzui!"

Shiho, who has been dozing in Ushimaru's class the whole time for the twelfth time in her experience under his tutelage, got hit critically in the forehead by the chalk.

"Son of a b-"

"Now that I have all of your attention, I will be giving a very long examination this December."

The groans of his students were music to his ears as he looked at Kasumi.

"Yoshizawa."

"Yes, sir?"

"Your competition is on the same week as Finals week. If you can bag first place on that event, you get an automatic flat 1.0 grade." He bargained with the brunette, causing an sudden uproar from the rest of the class.

"What?!"

"Hey, old man! No fair!" Shiho yelled as she received a second chalk snipe.

"All of you settle down! This is part of her scholarship requirements, so quit complaining!" He reprimanded everyone as Kasumi sunk on her seat, unaware that her nipples hardened due to the cold air around them.

The bell rung after an hour as everyone except Kasumi and Shiho got out. Shiho notices the pointing things on her chest and sighed.

"You and Ren fucked again before class, huh?"

Kasumi nods as she blushed.

"Did anyone notice?"

She shook her head.

"Good. Coz if you were Ann, you'd be in hell for today."

Kasumi knew what she meant and followed her to the gymnasium for an extra bra. When the girls split up to their next classes, Kasumi noticed her classmates walking out.

"Huh? What's wrong, everyone?" She asked nicely.

"Kawakami-sama posted an announcement that she won't conduct class for a week." One of her classmates said. "But we are given an entire week to study about nutritional value about every main course and how it will affect our body systems with every intake and overdose."

"I see. Thank you so much!" She politely bowed as she marched to the Arts and Sciences building before her classmates whispered to each other.

_Is it me or is she-_

_Don't even think about it. She must have done the dirty to that Amamiya boy from the Psychology department._

_And how do you know it's him?_

_My sister sees her go to his class a lot lately. Even flirts with him before the teacher would enter the room._

_Is she that easy?_

_Dude, you have no chance with her._

_She's completely changed since we started the school year together. What do you think happened?_

_Who knows? Maybe it was Noriyaki's big ugly head that got into her?_

_We're not sure until we know the truth._

Kasumi finds Ren, who just got out of class. The two then went to the rooftop of the school to make out while they talk about the upcoming exams. Unfortunately, Shiho was on the rooftop having a call with someone.

"Shiho-san?" Kasumi asked as her euphoric excitement suddenly died.

"Oh, Kasumi! And Ren?" Shiho's eyes widened as she had an idea. "Hang on for a sec, Dad."

Ren cleared his throat and averted her glare while Kasumi looked down onto her feet.

"You two were planning to do it here, huh?" She gave a smug smirk.

"Well, I-"

"You know you two should have done it during the night instead of the day."

"Shiho-san!" Kasumi blushed so hard. "Are you trying to tease us?"

"Maybe." She then switched her attention to the phone. "Sorry about that, Dad. Someone got lost."

Ren furrowed his brows as Shiho winked. Unsure what she is implying, the two began to make out in a corner while Shiho would glance at them from time to time. Already bottomless, Kasumi holds the urge to moan as to not interrupt Shiho from her call as Ren makes his way in her. After a few minutes of what could have been a good way to finish their quickie, Shiho finishes the call and teases one more time.

"Doing it while she's fertile? I guess there will be another test she will pass."

Ren freaked out and pulled out to unload onto her bare belly while Kasumi pouted and glared at Shiho.

"What the hell?!"

"That's for traumatizing our eyes not too long ago." She waved them farewell as the two lovers remained standing by the corner. "Ciao!"

"You didn't tell me you were-"

"I wasn't."

The two remained quiet as they suddenly remembered the other topic.

"Speaking of exams..." Kasumi started as she wore her panties and jeans back. "Mr. Ushimaru said that I will get a straight 1.0 grade if I win the competition next month."

Ren smiled as he raises his boxers and pants back up. "Well, that's good news. Will you tell Hiraguchi about it?"

"Not yet." She curtly replied. "I need to know if the other teachers will do the same."

Ren then checked his calendar. "The competition is on December 15. That's during the last day of exams and the penultimate day of the second semester."

Kasumi looked down with sad eyes.

"I don't know if I could win this without you watching me, Ren." She murmured.

Ren then gave her a reassuring hug. "We'll watch you win. Okay? We just need to win against the stupid written exams first."

Kasumi returned the hug and smiled. "Okay, Ren. I trust you."

Suddenly, the two were interrupted by Maruki and Shiho.

"Are you really certain they were engaging in intercourse?"

Shiho stomped her foot and pouted. _You guys win this round...._

"Sh-Shiho-san!" Kasumi hid behind Ren and blushed entirely into a tomato, confirming Shiho's accusation.

_Yay! I win!_

"Well, I do appreciate that this place is secluded enough for you two to do your happy time..." Maruki sighed. "But Ren, the board is requesting that you finish your research now so that you don't need to do anything next semester except publish your study."

Ren and Kasumi sighed deeply and replied in unison. "Okay."

The four of them went downstairs to discuss more about Kasumi's exemption.

A week has passed by, and while Kasumi survived Kawakami's oral recitation on nutritional value, she was also informed that she will be exempted from exams if she wins the tournament. And that goes as well for her 2 other major classes, and 2 minor classes. During lunchtime, she ate with Ren, Maruki, Shiho, Haru, and Ryuji (who managed to sneak in with help from Kawakami).

"So you gotta win first place to pass Finals? That's pretty wicked." Ryuji commented.

"But you also have to be skipping a few classes for training purposes then." Haru added.

"Yeah. But I know not all teachers want me to skip class for my gymnastics training." Kasumi rebounded.

"True. Among your 6 subjects this semester, only Kawakami-san and I would really let you off the hook for skipping classes. Ushimaru-san is very strict with attendance, but that's just about it." Haru spoke with a surrendered tone.

"I think you should inform them, Sumi." Ren pecked her cheek. "They'll understand you."

Kasumi then checked her phone to see if Hiraguchi texted. She didn't see a text, but found a missed call. Panicking, she called the somewhat middle-aged trainer and waited for her to pick up while the others talked.

"I wonder who'll she be up against. There like tons of universities in Tokyo alone!" Shiho wondered.

"I heard that only 15 schools will compete. And there are three rounds in the competition." Ren provided his share of info.

Everyone went quiet as Kasumi started talking with Hiraguchi.

"Hello, Coach! Should we have some practice today? Huh? You sure? We'll see you tomorrow at 9 am then!" She then ends the short call. "Coach wants us to join her at 9 am tomorrow."

"Us?" Ryuji parroted.

"Yes! She's eager to teach you guys as well!"

Haru looked at her schedule and beamed. "I'm available for tomorrow!"

Shiho looked at hers. "Me too. Ushimaru won't handle shit for us anyway tomorrow."

Maruki hoped Ren would say no. Unfortunately, he is free as well.

"Well, I guess majority of everyone will be joining you tomorrow." He sighed in defeat.

"Yay!" Kasumi cheered.

The next day around lunchtime, Hiraguchi arrives back in her studio as everyone except Kasumi laid on the ground, either in pain... in exhaustion... or both.

"My ass is killing me...." Ann complained as her butt cramped mid-performance.

"I should have been fine with my legs. But why do they hurt?" Shiho cried as her calves and thighs cramped.

"Damnit, I'm done." Ryuji surrendered after his knee injury returned to bite him.

"Such intense power... and unfortunate pain that will forever haunt me in my daily life." Yusuke dramatically said while massaging his back.

"Is this revenge for something, Kasumi?" Futaba whined while she is paralyzed.

"I didn't know... that I would feel this much pain..." Haru said as her entire torso was in pain.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do some stretches and moves with you all." Makoto apologized as the group knows that she can't perform while being pregnant.

"I'm still shocked that Shibuya's finest officer is expecting 6 months from now." Hiraguchi remarked as she gave Makoto a fruit drink. "Though you can do some boxing exercises if that helps."

"Where is the punching bag?"

Ren, who is down on the ground face-flat, pointed at the far end.

"Excuse me for a sec, Hiraguchi-san." Makoto carefully made her way to the bag while avoiding everyone. She then closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"This is for making me bear with this child for nearly three months now, you scumbag of an ex." She then unleashed a furious flurry of punches that echoed the entire studio. Hiraguchi wanted to ask what is wrong, but she decided not to.

"USELESS!" Makoto jabs the bag, punching a hole onto it in the process. She panicked and apologized to Hiraguchi, who just chuckled.

"Hey, it's fine. Men, am I right?"

Ren, Ryuji, Yusuke, and Akechi (who just reawakened after a combination of neck cramp, thigh cramps, and an overstretched back) yelled in offense.

"So everyone! How was your first time training?"

Everyone dropped back down to the ground with groans and cries. Kasumi frowned at the sound of their noise.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Want me to ask Coach for more intense training?" Her tone was not sympathetic, but disappointed.

"NO!" Everyone shouted, causing Kasumi and Makoto to jump. "THIS IS GOOD!"

Hiraguchi grinned. "Good. Coz we have two more hours to go!"

Two hours later, and Kasumi shook her head in disbelief as she saw everyone in near death.

"Fine. But can you all at least help me in this?" She was beginning to feel pissed off.

"Hey, we're not natural athletes like you, Kasumi." Futaba groaned.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Wanna go home instead and be a couch tater?" She insulted Futaba, shocking everyone.

"Uh, correction. I'm a gaming tater while Sojiro is the couch tater." She dismissed the insult and clarified Kasumi.

"Ugh, whatever." Kasumi sat down and tried to mimic the hand movements of the prelims' performance.

"So you'll be up against 14 other schools, with three rounds in total." Ren began.

"The first round is all 15, the second round is 7, and the third is only 3." Hiraguchi added. "You should be worried with Reika Higaskita, a gymnast from Asakusa State University."

"You mean that chick with the purple eyes?" Ryuji felt an elbow to his ribs from Makoto.

"Apparently, she has won the Interschool Winter Gymnastics two years in a row. If she wins this year, she will be the first to have a three-peat in the event."

Kasumi chuckled. "Not gonna happen, since I'm here now."

"We know you're very confident, Kasumi-chan, but don't get too cocky or you'll lose your temper if you lose." Ann warily reminded her.

"Besides, if you perform this just to gain that flat top score for the exams..." Haru trailed off as Hiraguchi then looked at the gymnast.

"Kasumi, you should be mindful on why you're performing. Okay? If you get too much stuff in your head, you won't be able to perform well."

Shiho and Ann cleared their throats and snickered, causing Kasumi to get flustered a bit while Ren whistled. Hiraguchi caught on and sighed.

"Like that, for example."

Evening has arrived, and Maruki dropped by the studio with some study materials for Kasumi.

"It's in case you get defeated." He sheepishly said, which annoyed Kasumi.

"You lack faith, Dr. Maruki."

"Gah!"

The group returned with their dinners and began to test Kasumi's mental focus by letting her meditate while she performs the moves. At the same time, anyone from the group will randomly yell something or talk about something out loud to break Kasumi's concentration. Occasionally, they succeeded in breaking her concentration, which would let Kasumi go into tougher training whenever she breaks focus. Eventually, Kasumi passed out and prompted the group to call it a day.

Over the weekend, they did the same thing. However, Hiraguchi made it into a drill camp and included the others in training with Kasumi.

"We need to make sure Kasumi here is the last person standing in terms of concentration!" She barked as the group did what they would do to meditate. Carefully, Hiraguchi began to bark random stuff, with Ryuji becoming the obvious one to be eliminated first.

"Argh, are you kidding me?!"

"Sorry, Sakamoto. Back to your lover, you go."

Ryuji makes his way back to Makoto as she said more random stuff, allowing Shiho, Haru, Futaba, and Ann to get eliminated consecutively. Ren was the next after she made her best Kasumi impression, causing the others to snicker at his embarrassment. Because Akechi snickered, he was eliminated as well, leaving Yusuke and Kasumi as the last ones standing. Hiraguchi then tried her very best to let Yusuke get eliminated.

"Hmm... I wonder what I should do with the money I have right now..... I dunno if I should gift my niece art materials for her school or a huge meal to keep herself from eating and spending too much...."

Yusuke tries to resist her words while Kasumi was clearly focused because she can't understand shit about being an artist.

"Oh, well. Maybe I should buy her food instead. To be fairly honest, she does suck in drawing a dinosaur."

Yusuke gave up and looked at Hiraguchi. "You have no right to mock your own niece's artworks!"

"I don't have a niece, Kitagawa." Hiraguchi smirked as she noticed Kasumi continued dancing with her ribbon. "She did it."

Everyone gave her a round of applause, which broke her concentration at last.

"What?"

"Well, you won. I guess." Ren shrugged as Kasumi looked at everyone.

"At least you guys had fun, right?"

They all nodded as she turned to the painting.

"They're expecting me to do the Scarlet Scorpion, right?" She asked Hiraguchi.

"Yeah. They are. What do you have in mind?"

Kasumi can only smile.

"Let's show them that a violet can dazzle them."

Hiraguchi placed her hand on Kasumi's shoulder.

"Remember: don't perform for the sake of getting a perfect score or a perfect performance. You need to trust your instincts and let your movements flow with your style. Or styles, if you're planning to repeat the prelims' performance."

Kasumi then had an idea. "Actually, mind if I can see the itinerary of the competition again?"

In Okinawa, the other Kasumi nearly finishes her rehabilitation as her parents gave her a warm hug.

"After nearly a year, we're glad you're nearly back in shape!" Shinichi said to his daughter.

"Now you can finally see your sister again!" Hanaki spoke until she remembered. "That reminds me, we haven't been hearing anything from Sumire at home."

"Or even seeing her. I hope she managed to survive on her own while we were busy watching over you, Kasumi."

The other Kasumi nods until she saw a magazine on the counter of the receptionist. Shinichi and Hanaki followed her and saw what she was doing.

"Huh. Been a while since Fab Zone published." Hanaki said until she saw another Kasumi. "The Dazzling Superstar: Kasumi Yoshizawa."

"There must be a mistake." Shinichi said. "No way that this girl is our Kasumi."

The nurse in the reception table then shrugged. "Well, the photos and the interview said so. Otherwise, who would this doppelganger be?"

"No..." The REAL Kasumi then muttered, now with a scowl and boiling hatred as she somehow crumpled the magazine. "But I have an idea on who this is." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun. Dun. DUUUUUUUUUN. Shit has begun.
> 
> For Hiraguchi's little game to help Red Kasumi concentrate, it is based off the temple in Kichijoji where you gain SP for full concentration. Also, what do you think will Red Kasumi do for her performance in the competition with that idea in the end?
> 
> While the Yoshizawa family take their time to let the real Kasumi recover a little more, what is going on with the other Kasumi in Tokyo as December arrives? Stay tuned for "La Squadra", as the group joins together in keeping Red Sumi prepped up for the competition!


	30. La Squadra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Red Kasumi is given the chance to focus on her gymnastics contest in December. However, her friends and Hiraguchi help her in focusing first without taking advantage of the 'no-exams' privilege.
> 
> Elsewhere, the real Kasumi discovers that someone with her face is posing as her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter!
> 
> Some smut may be present here like the last chapter, but it has its reasons.
> 
> Anyhow, this is a long chapter. I wanted to make sure that I would keep this close to the new projected chapter max (from 38 to 44) to avoid forcing another extension.
> 
> With that said, let's go!

December has arrived, and Kasumi is given balance in both academics and gymnastics to keep her scholarship alive. With the help of Ren, Shiho, Haru, and Maruki in the books while Hiraguchi, Ryuji, Yusuke, and Makoto support her in the gym, everything seemed okay for Kasumi. Well, it was supposed to until the group received an announcement from one of the sponsors of the Interschool Winter Gymnastics.

"A new venue!?" Ann yelled.

"And new rules at that?!" Futaba joined the yelling.

"This is bullshit!" Kasumi angrily expressed as Hiraguchi showed them the sudden changes.

**To all participating gymnasts of the fifteen schools for the Interschool Winter Gymnastics of 20XX,**

**We would like to announce the following changes of the event, from venue to guidelines to even the rules:**

**\- The venue is now relocated from the University of East Shinjuku to the new Midori Stadium in Odaiba. The call time is now at 6 pm instead of 6:30 pm.**

**\- All participants must have only up to 10 guests allowed as support for the school.**

**\- NO taunting of other schools as to avoid disruption to the performances**

**\- The third round, dubbed the 'Creative Round', is now only judged by 1992 Olympian Yukako Sanaema.**

**\- The participant is given an option for a partner, which is recommended to not be a romantic one.**

**\- Any sudden irrelevant halts (unless it is an injury) to the performance is an automatic elimination from the competition.**

**Hoping for a thorough understanding from you all. Thank you and have a wonderful day!**

"Looks like your idea with Amamiya isn't gonna fit." Hiraguchi said while Kasumi began boxing the punching bag to release her pent-up anger.

"That! Is! Unfair!" She began giving hooks to the bag.

"Although we still get to use your costume we're working on." Futaba tried to reassure her.

Hiraguchi looked at the name of the sole judge in the third round. "Yukako Sanaema... The Picasso of Pole-Dancing."

"P-Pole-dancing!?" Kasumi missed her punch at the sound of Hiraguchi murmuring the last part.

"Well, not literally pole dancing." Hiraguchi heard sighs from the girls. "But the way she tried out was due to her old job as a young stripper in a club. She was recruited by a professional scout one day and then after a few years, she began winning rhythmic gymnastics to the point of joining the 1992 Olympics at the age of 28, the oldest one to join ever against a group of 18 - 25 year-olds."

Kasumi then crossed her arms and spoke with pride. "Well, they should remember that I entered Olympics at the age of 15 against a bunch of 18 - 25 year-olds. And WON the gold medals."

"No surprise there." Ann chimed.

"Well, this isn't the time to brag, Kasumi. Keep your focus!" Hiraguchi chided her, allowing Kasumi to resume boxing the bag. However, she suddenly noticed Kasumi's form changing and ordered her to stop.

"Is something on your mind, Kasumi?"

"N-Nothing. Why do you ask, Coach?"

Hiraguchi shook her head and let her continue while she furrowed her brows.

_Funny. For a moment there, I imagined Sumire punching._

During Haru's discussion about culinary science, Kasumi called her attention via notes being written in her notebook. Luckily, Haru has concentration skills as she continuously talked about the different levels of heat that affect food in certain areas of the world. Haru writes her replies as Kasumi promised to listen more. After class, she and the gymnast had a short talk.

"So the rules have changed, huh?"

"Yeah. And for once, I am nervous about a contest. And it isn't even an international one!"

Haru sensed a slight dread in Kasumi's tone as she offered her a few Hawaiian beans.

"Something to keep you calm later tonight, regardless if it's practice or studying with Ann-chan."

"Y-Yeah. Speaking of Ann-san, where do you think she will continue her schooling?" Kasumi inquired. Haru then gave it some thought until Ren arrived.

"Ladies."

"Ren, my sweet sexy boyfriend!" Kasumi cheerfully jumped onto Ren.

Haru blushed upon hearing Kasumi say it with pride and joy. Ren chuckled and placed Kasumi down.

"Alright, so I heard that the rules and venue changed."

"Yeah. And I fucking hate it." She pouted. "How come they can't let you be my partner?"

"Not my idea." he shrugged nonchalantly.

After school has ended, Ren, Haru, and Kasumi walked together to the station until they saw Makoto standing by the platform.

"Mako-chan!" Haru called and waved.

Makoto, who just got off the phone, noticed them. "Hey, guys!"

"Who were you talking to?" Ren asked.

"Sis. She and her partner are currently in Okinawa investigating the disappearance of a potential witness and they got sidetracked by inquiring about the victims who were in the hospital."

Unbeknownst to everyone, both of Kasumi's eyes twitched as the voices returned to her head.

_.......knows.......you....._

_I......never......you...._

_.....your....shit....._

"Uh, Sumi?" Ren kept snapping his fingers at her face until she returned.

"Oh. Sorry, Ren."

"It's cool. But you're spacing out again like before." He pointed out.

Kasumi looked down and avoided their gazes. Makoto began to rub her belly and began saying a few names.

"What are you doing, Makoto?"

"Just wondering what names are good for the baby."

"The gender-neutral ones?"

"Yeah. Do you know any, Ren?"

Ren shook his head, but Makoto understood as the train arrived

Later around midnight, Kasumi took the beans and brewed them as Ann suddenly woke up to the smell of coffee.

"Brewing at 1 am?" She groggily asked.

"I need to calm down." Kasumi said. "I got a lot of things on my head."

Ann returned to her room and grabbed a robe to cover her bare body and sat next to Kasumi.

"You can tell me."

Kasumi then looked at her coffee being heated.

"You know the story of the Ugly Duckling, right?"

"Yeah." Ann then began talking about the story. "The duckling wasn't actually a duckling, but a gorgeous swan who had the time to shine."

Kasumi rubbed her eye to avoid crying.

"I wish I was the ugly duckling now. Like, no one would pressure me and shit."

"Why do you say so?"

"I'm an Olympic medalist studying in one of the elite colleges in Tokyo. Then I enter a competition where I am literally the star of the show and I...." Kasumi started to weep a little. "It fucking scares me."

Ann held her hand and rubbed her thumb at the skin. "Hey, no matter what happens... you're still a winner to us. Don't forget that."

"A-Ann-san..."

Out of impulse, the two share a passionate kiss until Kasumi's eyes widened in shock.

"Wh-What the hell!?"

Ann covered her mouth and gasped. "I'm sorry! I... I didn't mean to ruin the mood and all!"

Both girls looked away from each other.

"You don't happen to have converted to being a lesbian, right?" Kasumi asked her cautiously.

"O-Of course not!" Ann fired back. "It's just.... you somewhat remind me of Ren sometimes."

Kasumi carefully looked back at Ann. "W-Why do you say that?"

"He can be cool and cocky and much of a commando at times, but deep down he is afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

Ann looked at Kasumi with a downcast expression. "Being along again. Like what happened to him back then."

Kasumi then frowned as Ann added her remark.

"I guess I wasn't a supportive girlfriend when he was currently shitting around with Shido and all."

Now it was Kasumi's turn to hold Ann's hand.

"Don't say that, Ann-san! You did everything you can to keep Ren happy before we met! I owe it to you that I have the chance to date him."

Ann leaned backward for a bit and chuckled. "Just in case I accidentally kiss you again."

Both girls giggled as the coffee was ready.

Elsewhere in Yongen-Jaya....

"I call bullshit, Ann. You're so having a lesbo aura now." Futaba blankly said as she switched her tab to her game, which she accidentally paused in a jumpscare moment.

Nine days away from the competition, and everyone from the group began to make their efforts to get Kasumi prepared. Ann would inspect Kasumi's costume in the tailor every now and then with Yusuke while Futaba is in charge of researching each and every contestant on the list. Shiho and Ryuji were in charge as Hiraguchi's assistants in training Kasumi while Haru and Makoto provided the food and drinks for everyone everyday. Ren and Akechi were in charge of making the calling cards (which they convinced Makoto), but ended up getting carried away by chatting with the customers in the Jazz Jin or with Rise and Yu.

Seven days away, and things are the same. Kasumi, though, doubled her effort in academics and impressed her teachers enough to allow her to take the exam in case she does not bag the first place.

Five days away, and everyone suddenly burned out.

"Any luck with the suit?" Akechi asked as he sunk his head further into Ann's pillow.

"There was an error in the coattails, so they had to redo it." Ann replied as she used the last of her perfume to keep the smell from going bad.

"What about you, Saka- I mean, Ryuji?" Akechi asked the blonde boy.

"Practically torture. Kasumi couldn't stop minding about something, and her routine is a little off for some reason."

"Is she using the one she did in the prelims?"

"For the first round only. And that's just 1/3 of our shit."

"Sakura?"

"Too. Many. Photos."

"Huh?"

"Kasumi's opponents are so vain... they have more photos than words to describe themselves." Futaba groaned as she dropped her glasses. "Shit."

Ann then lit up. "Oh, yeah. We have NEVER seen Kasumi-chan's social media, haven't we?"

"I advise not to pry into her privacy unless we ask permission." Akechi then glanced at Ren, who has cards all over his face. "Ren."

"She never told me about her social media, but she did say she uploads our pics every now and then."

Haru then arrives with soda cans.

"Soda?"

"I'm sorry, everyone. But we've been grounded to the bone in prepping the necessary food and drinks for the tournament." Haru sighed as she sunk down onto the couch. "where is Kasumi-chan, by the way?"

"She went to work in LeBlanc." Ren told her. "She wanted to have some peace and quiet as well."

"That reminds me: you two haven't done it in your room yet, Ren." Futaba accidentally thought out loud.

"Futaba!"

Four days left, and examinations begin. Kasumi decided to take the exams after informing the teachers of the changes, and she would finish the exams quickly to head for training immediately. By the evening, however, she decided to head for LeBlanc to help Ren out in serving. When Sojiro called it a day and closed up shop, Ren guides Kasumi to his room and showed her his stuff.

"To think that you made a cafe attic wonderful..." She mumbled.

On the shelf by the right side, she saw her gift from Shinagawa, a porcelain ramen bowl, a swan boat figurine, a chess piece, a kumade, Neo Featherman figurines, a giant bear plushie, a poster of Risette, and a neon tower. To her left is a small CRT TV capable of playing only retro games and DVDs, a shelf with clothes and other stuff, a large box that says 'DO NOT TOUCH', a couch, and a small portrait of him.

"Mi casa, eu casa." Ren tried to sound cool, but Kasumi giggled.

"Why did you bring me here, Ren?"

"Well, uh, Futaba kinda reminded me of something and I realized I haven't showed you my room yet. So... ta-da!"

She can tell from his voice that he is nervous, but Kasumi shrugged it off and sat on his bed.

"So.... we're now alone, and Sakura-san is at home...."

Slowly, she and Ren began to make out as the moon shone through the window. The two lovers crash to the bed and began caressing each other as their grew more and more passionate. Kasumi crept her hand onto his crotch and smirked.

"My, my... hard already, my dear boyfriend?"

"Hey, it just acted out of impulse." He tried to defend himself.

"Suuuure." She then unbuttoned her blouse to show him a pink, lacy bra. "You like it? I bought it when you guys were busy making those cards and stuff."

Ren was sweating. "Does that mean your panties are pink and lacy as well?"

Without hesitation, she removed her pants and made him correct about his assumption.

"Damn..." he ogled at her semi-naked body before she pulled him in for a kiss.

"Come here, lover boy!"

In the Sakura residence, Futaba invited Ann, Shiho, Ryuji, Makoto, and Yusuke to give a report on their objectives. However, with the 'accidental' activation of the bug in Ren's room made things a lot uneasy.

"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU SHOWING US THIS, FUTABA!?" Makoto scolded her.

"You have some weird fetish, you know that?" Shiho crossed her arms in disgust. "Maybe Sojiro was right about you being desperate."

"Hell no!"

"Or maybe she's just a perv." The blonde monkey snickered.

"Speak for yourself, Ryuji!" She then sighed in defeat. "Is everything ready, by the way?"

Ann started. "The coat and stockings should be ready on the day of the competition."

"And Hiraguchi should have convinced the judges of the first round to use music." Shiho gave her report.

"Haru and I are set to keep her energized every round." Makoto hummed.

"And from the guest list... it's by school. The only people from UES among us are Shiho, Haru, Ren, and Dr. Maruki." Futaba pointed their only problem.

"Don't worry about it." Makoto spoke up as the group began hearing moans over the camera. "I asked Akechi-kun to create some fake VIP IDs for the event."

Yusuke began framing his fingers at the scene as Makoto, Ann, and Shiho blushed.

_"Harder, Ren! I need more of your meat!"_

"She said the exact thing I said to Ren on our first time." Ann covered her face.

"Same." Shiho looked away in shame.

"Guilty as charged." Makoto admitted.

The next day, Futaba ran into LeBlanc and woke the two naked lovers up before Sojiro could begin business for the day. After the gremlin dashed off and pretended to do jogging (which somewhat convinced Sojiro and lets it slide) around the neighborhood, Ren and Kasumi bathed together in the bathhouse and immediately changed for school. As they arrive, they noticed a lot of supporting banners from every department of the school.

**GO YOSHIZAWA!**

**THOSE SCHOOLS DON'T HAVE 'OLYMPICS' IN THEIR BLOOD EXCEPT US!**

**WE GOT YOUR BACK, YOSHIZAWA!**

**BRING HOME THE BACON, KASUMI YOSHIZAWA!**

"Wow.... it feels scary to have an entire school look at you for the championship." She whispered to Ren.

"Well, they are counting on you." He replied.

Kasumi hugged his arm and laid her head on his shoulder. "As long as you have my back, Ren..... I feel like I can take on the world once more."

The rest of the day went well as the gymnast answered well in her exams.

Two days left, and things still went smoothly.

One day left, and Kasumi finally jumps in joy after finishing the exams. Though her classmates questioned why she still took the exams, but were glad that she didn't act like an arrogant person with the scholarship privilege.

On the day of the competition, everyone met up in Shiho's house for the full makeup and style preparation while waiting for Haru. Ann, Makoto, and Shiho clapped in victory after they finished up.

"Yes! You look helluva gorgeous, Kasumi-chan!" Ann pumped her fist in the air.

"We'll make sure that the crowd will adore ya with style and grace." Makoto smiled.

"Time to show these suckers what we're made of!" Shiho jabbed a fist onto her palm.

Ren and the boys arrived in their best attire and saw Kasumi from the entrance. She wore a black long coat with three tails and frilled cuffs, a black leotard, black stockings and stilettos, a black choker, red gloves, and a black ribbon to tie her hair.

"Hey, boys. How do I look?" She posed to the guys, who all gulped at the same time. Shiho shook her head and assisted Kasumi in walking.

"From the way you're suddenly stiff, Ren, I take it you love seeing her in this?" Ann teased as Ren checked his pants for a boner, only to be met with everyone laughing.

"You're looking quite extravagant, Yoshizawa-san." Akechi mused as he looked at Makoto. "Where is Sae-san?"

"She's on her way home now. Apparently, she is accompanied by a family who believes that they have a daughter who is staying here."

Once again, Kasumi's eye twitched. However, she shook it off and looked at everyone with a faint smile. Haru and her limo finally arrived and shocked everyone.

"Haru! We're using your limo?" Ann was baffled until her expression turned slightly annoyed at the sight of a familiar guest.

"Hey, Lady Ann! I was kinda picked up on the way here, if that's alright." Morgan sheepishly spoke.

"Only if you won't flirt with me, Mona."

As everyone entered the car, Akechi mumbled about why Morgan is called Mona.

"Where's Futaba?" Makoto asked.

"Sakura-san is bringing her to the stadium. He closed LeBlanc to watch with us." Haru told them.

"Well, if Sakura-san is watching me, I gotta make sure he'll give me a break from serving slightly mild coffee." Kasumi joked.

Ren laughed for a bit as they began the travel. "Well, he sure as hell won't pressure you."

Akechi then turned to Ren. "By the way, Ren. How is your thesis defense?"

"I'll be making the defense tomorrow. Sadly, Maruki won't be there to back me up, but he did give me his whole blessing on the confrontation with the panelists."

Everyone applauded.

"I hope you'll finally reach the top, Ren!" Kasumi leaned forward and kissed him, which oddly no one protested this time.

"Any words of encouragement for your lovely future wife?" Shiho said with a smirk.

"Kasumi," Ren began as he looked at her eyes and held her hands, "tonight will be a special night for us regardless of the outcome. Not only will you wow us with your talent out there, you'll also wow us with the heart and soul forged by the bonds of the people who will be watching you. We have been grateful for you to join our lives, and we welcome you to the official Phantom Thief family."

Akechi facepalmed. "Did you just consider everyone here as a Phantom Thief?"

Everyone's brains registered for a bit until Makoto shouted.

"Wait, WHAT!?"

"Dude, you two are the infamous Phantom Thieves?"

"Well, it would make sense if was Ren alone due to Shido and all that stuff, but Akechi as well?"

"Would you kindly explain to us how everything began with your friendship?"

Akechi and Ren were now overwhelmed while Kasumi checked her phone until they reached Odaiba.

"Wow, so many people here..." Ann muttered.

"Ryuji." Ren looked at the blonde boy, who readies a boombox.

"Ready." He inserts a tape record inside and waits to press play.

"It's time." Haru murmured.

"We're up against a lot of schools, but it's nothing compared to how we survive our lives now." Yusuke spoke.

"Do your best not to falter, Yoshizawa." Akechi gave her luck.

"Is everyone good to go?" Shiho asked. Everyone nodded.

Ann then saw Sojiro, Futaba, Maruki, and Kawakami outside the limo near the crowded entrance. "On your mark, Kasumi."

Kasumi kissed Ren for a few seconds and grinned.

"It's showtime!"

Ryuji pressed play as Ren exits first and acts as Kasumi's escort. The crowd was in awe as they saw Kasumi and the crew exit the limo like celebrities.

_Holy shit, is that really Kasumi Yoshizawa?_

_She's friends with Haru Okumura! No way I won't mistaken that limo for someone else's!_

_OMG, it's Goro Akechi!_

_AH! WHY IS HE WITH YOSHIZAWA?!_

_Hey, it's Officer Makoto Niijima!_

_Damnit, she's pals with Akechi and Niijima?_

_Hey, it's Ann Takamaki!_

_Holy moly, Feather Pink of the remake!_

_She's Feather Pink? What happened to Takeba?  
_

_I heard that Takeba is replacing that one producer after Mika Uchiha was caught sleeping with him._

_No freaking way. It's Ren Amamiya..._

_The Human Needle._

_He popped an entire government from their corruption._

The gossip didn't matter for the crew as they march their way to the stage. It was Kasumi's time to shine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 30 down, 14 to go! We're nearing the end of this story. :(
> 
> I will warn you ahead. The entire gymnastics competition will be a pain in the ass for me to write, so expect one chapter to have Round 1 and the first half of Round 2.... and the next chapter to have the latter half of Round 2 and Round 3... and then the celebration. (In short, I'm calling this the 'Winter Gymnastics Arc', starting from the previous chapter to the end of the competition. It may change, depending on my pacing tho)
> 
> Stay tuned for Part 1 of the two-part chapter, "Showtime!", as Kasumi finds a rivalry in one contestant and tries to defy all odds!


	31. Showtime! (Pt. 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Kasumi and company prepare themselves for the upcoming Interschool Winter Gymnastics, and they all hope it's Kasumi's time to shine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all! New chapter!
> 
> It's finally the competition! Which also means one thing: we're near another turning point of the story as we are drawing near the end of this fic! It won't be long until the truth is revealed.
> 
> With that said, it's showtime!

Kasumi and the group arrived in the backstage of the area as Hiraguchi waited for them.

"What a grand entrance." She smirked as she eyed everyone else. "So who'll be your partner during the second round?"

Kasumi looked at Ann, who managed to step forward. "I will."

Hiraguchi nods. "Well, then. Shall we enter the stage?"

There is no answer from Kasumi as she immediately marched forward with her partner and her coach joining her while the rest proceeded to the stands to watch them. The crowd went wild as Kasumi entered the stage, and they got wilder when they saw Ann following her. Ren and the group can hear whispers and chatter about how Kasumi and Ann are paired.

"That's definitely gonna reach national news." Sojiro muttered.

"Well, duh! We have an Olympic medalist paired with the new Feather Pink!" Futaba jumped with joy as the other contestants marched in. What caught everyone's attention again was Reika Higaskita, the reigning champion from Asakusa State University.

"Dude, it's her!" Ryuji nudged Akechi and Ren simultaneously.

"She's quite attractive." Akechi mused as he earned a glare from Makoto. "What? I'm not your pseudo-soulmate anymore."

"You're quite quick to move on from a break-up. And a secretive one, to top it off."

Akechi felt the iciness of her voice and apologized, making Ren, Ryuji, Shiho, and Futaba snicker.

On the stage, Kasumi and Reika stood next to each other as they share a few words while greeting the fans.

"Kasumi Yoshizawa."

"Reika Higaskita."

"I'm amazed that a child like you thought about entering this competition."

"What can I say? I'm a natural, Higaskita-san."

Reika's eyes twitched at the very sound of Kasumi's arrogance rubbing onto her.

"You've been such an eyesore since I saw you in Shinagawa with that boy. And your hair was practically red that time."

Now it was Kasumi's eye that twitched.

"Well, at least he's better than whoever you're dating. Must be sad that he got you a keychain instead of a plush during one of your dates in Dome Town."

That enraged Reika as she gave her the side-eye. "Make one more insult, you whore."

"Make me." Kasumi responded with a smug grin.

Meanwhile, Ann can sense the fueling rivalry for tonight. "And I'm so screwed..."

Hiraguchi then informed Ann of something.

"Takamaki. Each round consists of a performance under 3 minutes except for Round 3, which is under 2 minutes and 30 seconds. This is done to make sure everyone performs and gives the judges time to evaluate the scores for any tie-breakers."

"Should I inform Kasumi-chan?"

"Please do. For some reason, her mind is wandering off a lot since the competition was announced."

Ann then looked back at Kasumi, who just finished her petty jab with Reika.

The competition began with a male gymnast from Meiji University, who managed to perform well with his movements. However, he suffers a bad landing and sprains his ankle.

Second up was a student from Sayoma University of Technology, who was disqualified for going beyond the time limit by a mere millisecond.

The third participant was from Tokyo College of Law, and she was disqualified as well.

"Hey, aren't they getting screwed over for just a tiny time overlap?" Shiho furrowed her brows in disappointment.

"It seems this competition is strict. And judging from Yoshizawa-san's performances, she often performs in rounds which have 5 minutes as the maximum." Akechi commented.

"Damnit, someone tell Ann to tell Kasumi that-"

"Relax." Ren calmed her down. "I'm sure Hiraguchi told her."

Meanwhile, Kasumi studied quietly on the timing of contestants 4 and 5, who barely made it in the time limit.

_So we only have three minutes. I guess Coach and Ann-san were not joking._

Shaking her hands and legs, Kasumi checked her leotard and did some stretches.

_Good. Nothing too tight, nothing too loose._

Ann noticed that Kasumi's leotard has a letter 'S' embedded in the back. Before she can ask, Hiraguchi answered.

"She is dubbed the Scarlet Blossom. Though she prefers the Scarlet Scorpion due to how bold and aggressive she is with her performance."

"But her performance in the prelims..."

"That's another story. So I kinda borrowed her twin's old leotard with the letter V in it." Hiraguchi then pulled out a blue leotard with the V.

"So what's her twin called?"

Hiraguchi frowned. "She was supposed to be the Victorious Violet. But she has been called that by me or the fellow gymnasts in years after her surprise second placing when she was 12."

Ann then watched two more contestants perform, with one of them getting eliminated.

It was finally Reika's turn, and she began her performance with brutal moves as she used the ribbon like a whip while keeping the elegance of her body in touch. Her balance was well-kept, and not a single misstep whenever she pranced and leapt. To wow the judges further, she jumps in the air and spins the ribbon 20 times before landing, earning the applause of the roaring crowd. Everyone except Kasumi and Hiraguchi stared in bewilderment.

"What the fuck!?" Ren blurted out.

"For real!?" Ryuji rubbed his eyes.

"That was some sort of super mega combo she pulled off!" Futaba leaned forward while Sojiro grabbed her.

"Kasumi better have an idea to counter that..." Shiho muttered.

"Yes. A stunt like that is so mesmerizing." Haru whispered.

By the time it was Kasumi's turn, she was already shaking her hands off as she pulled her ribbon and walked to the stage. She began muttering to herself.

"You got this, Kasumi. Take deeps breaths... this is all for K- Ngh!"

She felt a sharp pain in the head before continuing to her starting pose. Reusing her moveset from the prelims, she decided to give it a few twists due to the amount of time.

Kasumi redoes the twirling motion of her body, but now adds skipping actions as she raised the ribbon from ankle level to her head like before. Rather than let it go on reverse and switching it to her arms like before, she simply dances while the ribbon spins around her whole body.

"She's moving while the ribbon is spinning around her. Quite interesting." Hiraguchi remarked.

As soon as she places her left foot forward, she leaps in the air in a 360 spin and switches the ribbon's grip from her right hand to her left as the ribbon spun around her in the process. She lands with her left leg up like a scorpion as the crowd began to applaud. Slowly, she lets the ribbon creep around her right leg as she switches the position of the scorpion stance to her opposite as the ribbon stayed in motion. Flawlessly, she succeeds in the switch as the crowd went wild.

"What the f-" Reika was astonished by how smooth it went.

She then tossed the ribbon in the air and performed a somersault before catching the ribbon behind her and spinning around like a figure skater. She tosses it again and leaps up in the air to grab it to suddenly switch her position to a landing backflip. People were scared of what might happen next, but she lands without an injury and raises her hand in the air as she finishes a second before disqualification.

The crowd roared in amazement as Kasumi began catching her breath. She bowed and stepped off the stage, where Ann gave her a huge hug.

"That. Was. Awesome!" The blonde woman said as Hiraguchi kept clapping.

"I am still surprised you pulled that off. And I'd be damned if you broke your wrist with that stunt."

"At least it worked, right?" Kasumi smirked as she knew she garnered the top spot for the first round.

The judges then announced the Top 7 based on performance. There were two performers who, despite the disqualification for exceeding the time limit, scored high enough to advance to the next round. Kasumi was the leader with 9.5, and Reika had 9.0.

The next round, however, was in favor of Reika as she stepped on the stage. She holds with her a double-sided ribbon baton which acts like a double-sided sword. She began twirling it around her body as she made gymnastics look like a fighting scene in Nebula Wars. However, her aggressiveness showed beauty as she continuously changes the ribbons' color for every toss. And with every toss, she quickly performs a daring move that would mean danger to a normal gymnast.

"How reckless of her." Yusuke commented. "She would have broken a lot of bones with those moves."

After she pulled out the last color, she started dancing with the ribbon until she started throwing it in the air while doing poses, and every time she catches the ribbon, she does it again and again as every pose was getting more seductive as well as her moves.

"Yo, is it me or is she askin' for it?" Futaba ogled at Reika as she does a sexy pose and catches the ribbon without looking.

In her final move, she spins the ribbon horizontally and tosses it in the air as she back flips, front flips, and cartwheels her way to edge of the stage as she catches the ribbon and blows a kiss to the crowd. Like the first round, the crowd went wild as Kasumi growled in anger while Reika gave a subtle smug grin.

"For the record, I have bigger tits than you, so I know when to seduce guys!" Ann herself felt insulted by how Reika did her performance.

The judges then announced who will advance. To everyone's surprise (and theirs as well), only two will advance to the final round.

**HIGASKITA, REIKA - 9.3**

**YOSHIZAWA, SUMI - 9.0**

The performers were given a 15-minute break to warm up, re-energize, or whatever they need to do. Kasumi began power-eating the beef teriyaki bento Makoto made and power-drank the only frappe Haru brought from her cafe. Shiho and Ryuji were busy warming Ann up while Hiraguchi and Ren stayed with Kasumi.

"How are you feeling, Sumi?" Ren asked his girlfriend.

"A bit nervous. But a bit discouraged as well." She admitted.

"I guess boldness won her that round, like how you did the first round." Hiraguchi said as she looked at Yusuke and Futaba playing fake fencing. "With that said, are you really sure bringing fake rapiers to the stage will work?"

"It's called creativity, Coach. Plus, I did request the light to be turned off for our performance." Kasumi nonchalantly said as Ann gulped in fear.

"What if I hit you, Kasumi-chan?"

"Those blades won't hit me. I'll be fine."

_......no.......er...._

_.....partic.....rely....._

_...fero....name...._

"Huh? Did someone say something?"

Everyone shook their heads as Kasumi finished recharging.

"Ready, Ann-san?"

Ann nods her head. "Let's do this."

Ann and Kasumi held hands as they look at Reika and her partner walking on stage.

Meanwhile, on a train heading for Tokyo...

"I can't believe she ran away!" Hanaki was furious that her other daughter was found missing inside the Yoshizawa household.

"To think she would go this far in whatever she plans to do..." Shinichi pinched his nose bridge. "We will be having a talk with her when we find her."

"Maybe teach her to know her place as well, Dad." The real Kasumi spat. "Pretending to be me and steal my life is a drag and a nuisance."

"What did we even do for her to run away?" Hanaki continued blabbering.

"Well, there better be a very good reason for her to do something like this." The real Kasumi huffed as she continued looking at articles about 'her'.

 _"We are now 25 kilometers to Tokyo!"_ The conductor announced.

"We should look for the photographer of the magazine. He should have an idea."

The family is then greeted with a knock in their compartment. Shinichi opens the door.

"Sae-san! What brings you here?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger!
> 
> Also, Kasumi and Ann holding hands is the only way for both of them to calm down. Trust me.
> 
> Well, I had a tricky time writing the performances again. But at least they're bearable this time around.
> 
> As to why Kasumi's name is only Sumi in the registry? Well, they used the name registered in the official school records since they must need it to identify the participant. Even if it is a famous person like Kasumi. And speaking of which.... Red Sumi's voices in her head are returning. What could this mean?
> 
> Stay tuned for the third round and the declaration of the winner in the second part of this chapter!


	32. Showtime! (Pt.2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Kasumi takes the event by storm as she rivals against reigning champion Reika Higaskita.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Round 2, baby!
> 
> I am putting this chapter up now since my brother will borrow my laptop for his exams online for the next three days.
> 
> Also, I'm somewhat done with 4 artworks for this fic. But I am contemplating on putting them either here or in a Drive. So please tell me where is the preferred location to show you the artworks.
> 
> With that said, let's continue!

Reika stepped onto a stage with a man who she claims is her brother. Although everyone watching was convinced, Ann thought otherwise. The reigning champion then begins their 150-minute performance by rocking each other like some cult summoning. While doing so, they began waving their ribbons perfectly like they are creating tsunami waves. As soon as they did their 5th wave, the two partners separated while holding both ends of their ribbons before forcefully pulling them to reveal double-colored ribbons as they then danced in parallel areas while waving the ribbons until they suddenly tied together on their own. The judges were in awe as to how such a magic trick happened as Reika then hopped over the ribbon her 'brother' swiped while he backflips in a stationary motion, creating a dove's head in the process which happens to be Asakusa State University's school logo. They finished with 10 seconds to spare as they bowed and made their way backstage.

"Good luck, Yoshizawa." Reika hummed with a taunting glory.

Before Kasumi could fire back, Ann did it for her.

"You're not her brother, are you?"

Both Reika and her 'brother' were caught off-guard by Ann's observation skills.

"Of course he is! Y-You're just jealous!" She retorted.

"Really?" Ann began to play her cards. "Coz when I did a background study about you, you were the only child in your family."

"W-Well, he's my stepbrother! Duh!"

Hiraguchi can only hold her laughter at the sight of Asakusa State's finest being shamed by a professional model-actress.

"Tch. Whatever." Her boyfriend retorted as well. "You two are gonna fucking lose anyway."

Ann and Kasumi then watched them walk away.

"They are so obvious." Kasumi snickered.

"So... how will we-"

_Before we proceed to the next contestant, may we call on Youtube sensations Ren Amamiya, Goro Akechi, Ryuji Sakamoto, and Yusuke Kitagawa for a special performance requested by Miss Yukako Sanaema._

Kasumi, Ann, and Hiraguchi then looked at the bleachers...

"Damnit! For real!?"

"How did she know we were here?"

"We did kinda create a commotion upon Kasumi's entrance."

"Blast that woman and her 'creativity' bullshit."

The boys went down while the girls, Morgan, Maruki, Kawakami, and Sojiro chuckled.

"I should record this again." Shiho pulled her phone out.

"Me too!" Haru yanked her phone out as well.

"I got a camera, so hi-def resolution this time!" Futaba jeered.

Makoto held her belly as she sighed. "I hoped it wouldn't happen."

In the judges' table, Yukako watched as the boys marched on stage.

"Hold it!"

The boys stopped and placed their hands behind their backs with their fingers crossed.

_Please change your mind, Sanaema-san._

_Anything but this dance. PLEASE._

_Do me a favor and prevent me from making myself look like a bloody humiliation._

_I don't wanna get rekt again._

Yukako's smile betrayed their hopes. "Find these men their costumes."

_DAMNIT._ All the boys' thoughts cursed in unison as they are guided by the staff.

"Good luck, boys..." Ann chirped as she blew them kisses.

"You got this, Ren." Kasumi mused as they share a kiss.

The boys returned with their costumes from not too long ago, which added more fuel to the existing fire of embarrassment. But then again, it was because of their stunt last summer that they are now requested often for this.

"I hate wearing these tights." Ryuji hissed.

"Bear with it, Ryuji. Let's just make this quick." Yusuke reassured him.

"I'm not sure if 2 minutes and 23 seconds count as quick." He replied with a sullen tone.

"If anything, this is enough for a performance in the final round." Akechi sighed in defeat.

"Let's get this over with." Ren cleared his throat as the song began playing.

While the boys danced, Kasumi and Ann joined in the dancing while waiting for their turn. Hiraguchi looked at Kasumi as she did her dance.

_Heh. How cute. She's smooth with her moves but stiff in her expression. Kinda like Sumi- Huh?_

For another second, she saw Kasumi with red hair and glasses before blinking her eyes to see everything back to normal.

"That's... strange."

"Coach?" Kasumi overheard her mumbling.

"Nothing, Kasumi." She waved her off before giving a concerned expression.

_Have I been training with Sumire the whole time?_

After the boys have ended their dance (at the cost of Ryuji accidentally ripping the tights), it was Ann and Kasumi's turn on stage. Everyone was amazed as to why Kasumi and Ann wore coats and stilettos in their final performance. Kasumi turned her back on the crowd and snapped her fingers in the air, prompting Futaba to hack into the lights and control it.

Kasumi and Ann put on their masks as they began using ribbons with neon glitter and the spotlight being shone on them. The light turns off again to show the suddenly spin of the ribbons as the glitters coat their ribbons. The two reach for each other's sleeves as they pull another set of ribbons, this time black in color. Red light flashes to show Kasumi and Ann tossing their masks in the air as they do spinning back flips before landing and performing heightened somersaults while the ribbon is latched onto one another. They then pose in front for a second before pulling out the fake rapiers and moving around once again while revealing more ribbons as they began going over, under, and through the existing ribbons. Once they have done their ribbon markings, they back flip once more before they hold hands.

"Ready?" Ann smirked.

"Of course." Kasumi returned the gesture.

The lights then shone onto the rapiers, which revealed to have a ribbon tied on their tips as Kasumi shouted from the top of her lungs as they throw the masks one more time.

"Our grand... finale!"

The two spun and touched each other's rapiers as the ribbons unravel to show a logo of a mask with a hat as the neon glitter dazzled it and went with the glow of the stage. The masks then land onto the rapiers with ease. Reika's jaw dropped while Yukako inspected the figure drawn by the ribbons on the ground. She then noticed that the ribbons were pinned for every spot the girls landed and pranced onto before the unraveling. Looking at the timer with 20 seconds to spare. She was about to tell them to get off until the girls spun again, causing the logo to transform into Kasumi's signature pose, the Scarlet Scorpion.

Everyone was in amazement and roared with cheers. Yukako grinned as she saw how much creativity was put into this.

"She must have been practicing this a lot. As expected from her." She marked her score as Kasumi and Ann bowed and got off the stage.

Meanwhile, backstage...

"That. Was. Wicked!" Futaba jumped for joy.

"Impressive, Sumi." Ren gave her a hug and a kiss as Hiraguchi clapped.

"Excellent work out there! And here I thought the ribbons trick wouldn't work."

"With that trick, even that purple-eyed bitch wouldn't believe it." Shiho scoffed as the two girls were then called back to the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now in the moment of truth: this year's Interschool Winter Gymnastics champion." The emcee announced as Kasumi and Reika stood side by side. Both gave each other glares as Yukako stood on stage.

"For years, I yearn for creativity of the younglings in their quest to achieve their dreams. Tonight, we have seen two wonderful performances. But there could only be one winner." She held out an envelope. "With the score or 9.95, and mind you that this is the first time we have decimals determine the winning score, we hereby declare..."

Suddenly, she began coughing harshly. People were now on the edge of their seats.

"Son of a bitch, that was killing me." She cursed as everyone laughed it off. "We hereby declare..."

Kasumi can only close her eyes while Reika wore a smug grin on her face only to fade when...

"... SUMI YOSHIZAWA as this year's champion!"

"What!?"

"What?"

Everyone was in shock and awe as Kasumi was declared the winner.

"I won." She muttered.

"She won...." Reika scowled.

"You won!" Ann cheered.

The crowd went wild as Kasumi looked at the entire stage. Despite being registered as Sumi, she can't help but show her brightest smile.

"I finally did it!" She jumped in the air.

Backstage in Kasumi's room....

"Man, you and Ann blew it out there! Er, not in a bad way." Ryuji yelled from the top of his lungs.

"Congrats, honey!" Ren lifted Kasumi in the air and kissed her passionately before Makoto cleared her throat, breaking whatever intimate ideas they had.

"Ehem."

"Sorry, Makoto-san." She sheepishly replied.

"Anyway, let's say we celebrate tonight?" Futaba declared while Sojiro patted her head.

"Now, now. We spent a lot of energy tonight, especially Yoshizawa-san." He then had an idea. "How about this? Help out in the shop while Ren or Futaba helps you in extra studying, and I'll triple your salary."

"Sakura-san?!"

"Sojiro!?"

"Dad?!"

Kasumi, Futaba, and Ren were baffled by the old man's proposal. Without hesitation, Kasumi nods her head.

"Of course, Sakura-san!"

"Well, well." Maruki smirked. "Getting additional pay for a job well done."

"We'll inform the faculty of your achievement, so for now let's have some down time." Kawakami remarked.

Shiho then whips her phone out and tosses it to Reika. "Yo, bitch."

"What do you want?"

"Take a photo of us." She then gave a death glare. "Do something stupid, and we'll hunt you down like wolves."

Reika gulped in fear and positioned the camera to a landscape shot.

"S-S-Say champions!"

"CHAMPS!" The group grinned as Reika took three photos and gave them back.

"Please have mercy on me." She shook in fear at Shiho as she looked at Kasumi and reverted back to her arrogant self. "Ehem, Yoshizawa."

"Higaskita-san."

Reika extended her hand. "As expected from a Olympian."

Kasumi accepts the handshake and winked. "You did well yourself, even if you did violate the rules."

Reika then walked away as everyone walked back to Haru's limo.

"So... joyriding time?" Ryuji flashed a toothy grin.

Kasumi then dragged Ren to somewhere. "We'll be right back."

Ann shook her head after a few minutes has passed. "Where could they have gone?"

Yusuke then remembered something about where they are.

"If I remember right, a love hotel is located a few blocks away from here. If my theory is correct..."

"Again!?" Ryuji shouted in surprise, despite the fact it shouldn't be, at this point.

"The hell you acting surprised for, Ryuji?" Futaba looked at him with disappointment.

"I believe my eyes are the purest ones then aside from Okumura-san, I think." Akechi laughed.

Maruki groaned while Sojiro and Kawakami chuckled. "Ah, those two..."

Kawakami, however, felt insulted when Shiho smugly asked her.

"When did you ever get laid, Teach?"

"Speak for yourself, Suzui! You and Amamiya-kun not too long ago..."

Makoto and Haru whipped their heads towards Shiho.

"You too!?"

"Am I the only one who has not gone intimate with him? Is it a requirement?"

Ann pats Haru in the back. "You'll get one someday, Haru."

"Yeah, I still don't know how they are still that strong." Morgan muttered.

Hiraguchi, however, was quite curious now.

"Hey, Takamaki."

"Yeah?"

"How long have they been doing it?"

"Around September-ish. Why?"

"Does she do it a lot?"

Rather than Ann answering that, Shiho and Futaba answered for her.

"Three times a week."

_Such stamina and erotica. That would sound like Kasumi, but if I remember right... Sumire is the dirtier one despite her personality._

In the nearby love hotel, sounds of musical moaning echo around the room as Ren and Kasumi engage in what may be Kasumi's new favorite position.

"You feel bigger in this position, Ren..." She moaned as she rocked her hips more and more.

"I can feel you kissing the tip." He grunted.

"Even if you aren't really big, it sure defied expectations." She cooed as she leaned forward to bounce her hips.

"Hey, kinda like someone I know." He sported a grin.

"Oh? What expectation did she defy?"

"Being the ultimate thief to my heart and my loins..... and winning the gymnastics championship." He tried to kid around as the two kissed in the middle of their intercourse. They then moaned in each other's mouths as they felt their orgasms unleash in each other. Kasumi then gets off of him and lays down next to him with her arms on his chest.

"So... this is my reward?" She pecked his cheek.

"Maybe... it is quite a stress reliever, right?" He snaked his arm around her as they cuddle.

"Yeah. I gotta thank you."

"What for?"

"Staying with me."

She then took the chance to suddenly sleep. Ren gave a weak smile as he covered themselves in the blanket.

"... Yeah."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Sumi won the Winter Gymnastics! That's three goals from Kasumi's notebook down!  
> \- date Ren  
> \- win Winter Gymnastics  
> \- achieve excellence in school
> 
> Next chapter will be unforgiving, sadly. So here comes the next chapter, "A Prelude to Disaster".....


	33. A Prelude to Disaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Kasumi has finally won her goal to win the Interschool Winter Gymnastics after she and Ann, her first Tokyo friend, stole the show.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, new chapter!
> 
> So.... We're now in the penultimate chapter before shit hits the fan. If y'all wanna start betting how it goes down, then I'll zip my mouth and let the comments section be flooded with guesses. (This was supposed to happen with my first fic, Worlds Under War, but my fat fingers accidentally pressed 'Post' instead of 'Save as Draft' that time)
> 
> With that being said.... By the Myriad Truths......

Around 6 am in the morning, Ren and Kasumi check out from the love hotel and made their way to Ann's condominium. Once they arrived, the two kissed and bade farewell for the meantime as Kasumi carefully opens the door. Normally, she'd expect Ann to do at least four things: either cook, sleep, masturbate, or shower....

.

.

.... instead, she finds her playing video games.

"Damnit, who the hell killed me!?"

_"It wasn't me, alright?"_

"Call a damn emergency meeting! There are two impostors on the loose!"

Ann was busy playing the game 'Within Us' with Futaba, Ryuji, Shiho, Akechi, Haru (surprisingly), Maruki (also surprisingly), and Morgan, who was already killed first in the game. Kasumi took her chance to tiptoe to her room until her bedroom door creaked.

"Oh, guys! Someone's finally home!" She sung as Kasumi's stealthy actions failed.

_"Looks like the champ's stealth skills are zero!"_ Futaba jeered until she noticed she died. _"The fuck!?"_

"I'm telling you guys! There is an impostor following us when we split up!" Ann yelled.

_"It's gotta be Ryuji!"_

_"Me?!"_

_"We're voting ya out. You look suspicious."_

_"Bullshit, I look suspicious! Y'all are just saying that coz I'm the only one running around alone!"_

Kasumi giggled as Ryuji's character was booted out in vain.

_"You're making a mistaaaaaaaaake!"_

Kasumi walked into the university with people giving her a round of applause as she placed the trophy into the cabinet. Yu Narukami, still an interim officer, congratulates her after closing the cabinet.

"It seems the school had high hopes for you." He said as he looked at her. "You made your school, friends, and maybe your family proud."

"Y-Yeah." Kasumi replied nervously.

"Well, there won't be any competitions for the entire third semester, but your scholarship will still remain." He clasped his hands behind his back and smiled. "Don't be a stranger to us, though. Just inform us on when you'll be practicing so I can create a schedule for you and your teachers."

Kasumi nods her head and smiled back. "Roger that!"

"Alright. Now go have fun for the holidays."

At 11 am in the morning, Kasumi dropped by Cafe Noir and saw that the cafe is holding a special promo in celebration of Kasumi's victory.

"Oh, Kasumi-chan!" Haru chimed as a few customers took photos and congratulated her.

"Hi, Haru-sama."

Haru chuckled and let it slide. "What brings you here today?"

Kasumi looked at the menu, then her wallet.

_Well, if I'm gonna get triple pay today... might as well use it up!_

"I'll have my Victory Special then."

Haru beamed and clapped her hands. "Wonderful! The champion will taste the special!"

The cafe went noisy as Kasumi looked around her. Haru then served her cake along with hot chocolate and a cookies-and-cream frappe.

"Enjoy!"

Kasumi began digging in on the special menu as her hums of joy were music to Haru's ears. After around 30 minutes, she felt so full.

_Too much dairy.... my stomach...._

Kasumi then excused herself to the restroom as the number of customers lessened for lunch time. While she was doing her business, two middle-aged customers entered the cafe.

"Good noon! Welcome to Cafe Noir!" Haru greeted the two.

"Ah, yes. Good noon to you as well." The older man then looked at the cakes and frappe menu. "What would you like, Hanaki?"

"Umm..." The older woman looked at the menu. "I'll have a Matcha Lemon Cake and a cold brew."

"I'll have the cafe as well, but make my drink an espresso."

"Coming right up!"

Haru then went to business as the two began talking.

"Well, we overslept that much. Should we ask the police for help in searching for her?"

"The question is if she is even here."

"Good grief. She's had a habit of running away when she's sad, but to think she'd travel all over the country..."

"Have faith, Shinichi. We may have to ground her for months or so, but we're still her parents."

Haru then served their orders and greeted them a nice day as they left. With perfect timing, Kasumi exits the restroom and asked Haru who was she talking to.

"Oh, just a few new faces. I did overhear them talk about someone who has a habit of running away when sad...."

Kasumi's eye twitched as voices returned to her head.

_......cry out....._

_.....nothing........_

_.........would even matter......_

_......Kasumi...._

Kasumi then clutched her head suddenly, alerting Haru.

"Kasumi-chan! Are you alright?" She spoke in a worried tone.

"Y-Yeah... I'm fine." She rose back up, the stinging effect of what happened still not off.

Around 1 pm, Kasumi finally arrived in LeBlanc to work for her cash. Sojiro wondered how she knew there are more customers in LeBlanc around the afternoon, but decided to save that question for another time.

"And so, the deer's horns are made of keratin, which also makes our nails and hair." Kasumi said as Futaba, Shiho, Ryuji, and Ann are in the booth with books sprawled around.

"Carrotin? Why the hell would carrots make up our hair and nails?"

"KERATIN, not CARROTIN! And carotene is something that makes something orange!"

"Like Futaba's hair?"

"This is a colored dye, dumbass!"

Kasumi laughed at the sight of the four as Ren snuck a kiss onto her lips.

"You're not focused."

"Hmm... why not we take our kissy-kissy moment upstairs?"

Futaba, however, broke their moment. "You want me to tell Sojiro you ditched work to feel him between your legs?"

"Futaba!" Ann blushed again. Shiho shook her head while Ryuji slumped.

"Maybe you are desperate, Futaba-san. I can help you find a guy you can ride on everyday, if you like?"

"WHA-"

Futaba was now very red and felt the heat on her cheeks as she instead ran upstairs to scream in Ren's pillow. Everyone shrugged as Kasumi kept brewing their coffee while Ren continued making the curry. After a few minutes later, LeBlanc was now filled with customers as Ryuji, Ann, and Shiho volunteered to head upstairs and wait while the two lovebirds began working.

"It seems that even the champion of last night's event still has the ethic to work hard despite the fame and fortune." A customer said.

"Hehe... I'm just making sure I don't take my obligations for granted." She sheepishly replied as the customers then talked to each other.

"Now this is the Kasumi Yoshizawa we wanted to see: sweet and humble."

"Yeah. It's quite a far cry from how she behaved back then."

"Speaking of which, I saw someone who looked like her in Harajuku earlier."

"Really? Was she as cute as Kasumi-san?"

"Not really. She blatantly ignored me and glared at me when I pestered her too much."

"Well, no wonder she ignored you."

Ren furrowed his brows while Kasumi gave a look that made her uncomfortable.

_.......why....._

_............sleep it........_

_.........red..........._

_...cold........ I love....._

Once the clock struck 8 pm, everyone gathered in LeBlanc as Sojiro then talked to them about their celebration party.

"You're not coming, Sakura-san?" Kasumi frowned.

"Nope, unfortunately. Youjii's trial is tomorrow and I have to ready up alone. Futaba, you're only given an option whether to attend the trial or not. So if you come home early, it'll be counted as a yes." He told them.

"Got it, Dad!" Futaba gave a salute while Ren pats her head.

"Don't worry, Sojiro. No one is getting hurt tonight." Ren reassured Sojiro.

"Shall we go?" Yusuke spoke. "I intentionally left my art materials at home so we can have a wonderful feast already."

"Yes. I closed the cafe a little earlier so we can enjoy in the Wilton Buffet." Haru chimed.

"Imagine all the meat I can eat..." Ryuji began drooling.

"Imagine the sweets..." Ann drooled as well.

"All that fish..." Morgan was the third.

"Mmmm... salads..." Shiho broke their dreams. "What? I'm not allowed to drool over vegetables?"

"Well, if there is one thing Yoshizawa-san would drool about..." Akechi looked at the couple with a smug smirk. "Maybe I'm just assuming things..."

Kasumi blushed and threw a book at Akechi. "You perv!"

"You're not denying it." Akechi chuckled as he caught the book.\

Ann realized what he meant and blushed. Makoto and Shiho followed suit and volunteered to get out of the cafe immediately. The blonde pulled Kasumi close to her.

"You blew him!?"

"Uh... yeah."

"I, uh, see...."

Kasumi assumed that even Ann gave him oral satisfaction back then. But only for Akechi to unintentionally cause the girls to get flustered....

"Sh-Shall we go then?" Ann nervously opened the door.

Ren and Kasumi stomped on Akechi's feet as they walked out.

"Was it something I said?!" Akechi hissed in pain as Ryuji laughed at his pain.

"I believe prying onto their business was not supposed to be called for." Yusuke sighed.

"Have fun, kids!" Sojiro waved them farewell.

In the Wilton Buffet, the table was reserved under Ren's name. The moment everyone entered, whispers and murmurs began as it involved the unusual pack.

"Ah, it seems we garnered attention before we could eat." Akechi mused himself. "I'm quite flattered."

"Zip it, Akechi! This celebration is about you." Futaba chided him like a mother reprimanding her child. Speaking of which...

"Yes, _MOTHER._ " Akechi replied sarcastically.

The moment they sat down, Ryuji, Shiho, Morgan, Ann, and Yusuke stormed off to the buffet while Futaba looked at her phone.

"Jeez, they can't wait any longer?" She pouted.

"Well, to be fair, Ann hasn't been here for a long time." Ren explained. "I dunno why she, a celebrity, doesn't come here on her own."

Makoto cleared her throat. "Maybe she needs to be with someone so caring and kind to bring her here. Like how you're very close with Yoshizawa-san."

Kasumi blushed. "I-It's not like that. Ren and I are just a simple, loving couple."

"Who apparently gets raunchy three times a week." Futaba felt a slap on her shoulder from Makoto.

"That was indecent, Futaba."

"Sorry, _MOM._ " Futaba's comment isn't wrong though.

"So how's the baby, Makoto? You're gonna check its gender next week?" Akechi asked as he crossed his legs.

"Yes. Sis actually hasn't come home yet. As soon as she arrived here in Tokyo, she went straight to the station and worked her ass off." Makoto sighed deeply, but smiled. "I just hope one day, I can teach my child how to be a very nice person and know which is the best thing for anything."

Maruki then looked at Makoto with concern. "But how will you explain to her that the baby is not yours and Sakamoto-kun's?"

"I just have to believe. Plus, Sis can always track him down and get him fired in his workplace." Makoto laughed.

Haru giggled. "Do you plan on having a baby with Ryuji though?"

Makoto flushed and hid her face. "I, uh...."

"Speak of the devil..." Ren muttered as Ryuji and the others returned with heaps of food.

"Alright! Your turn!" He announced to Haru, Akechi, Maruki, Ren, and Kasumi. "Here's your share, Makoto."

"Thanks, Ryuji!" Makoto smiled.

"So... you have quite the balanced meal. Again." Ren said as he saw Kasumi gather fish, beef steak, Java rice, sauteed vegetables, and baked potatoes.

"Well, I can't always rely on coffee and curry forever." She teased her boyfriend.

"Hey, I eat burgers, fish, sushi, ramen, takoyaki, teriyaki, tempura bowls, beef bowls, canned goods, and pizza. Occasionally." Ren defended himself as the two returned.

"About time you finished." Akechi snarled. "Now let's dig in!"

"Hang on!" Kasumi stopped everyone from chowing everything down. "Let's have a prayer before we eat."

"Didn't think you're the religious type, Kasumi." Shiho leaned back.

"I kinda drop by Meiji Shrine before I go to work in LeBlanc. But I sometimes go to the Kanda church on my own." She elaborated.

"Alright then. Let's pray." Ann announced as Kasumi led the prayer.

"Dear God, we humbly thank you for tonight. It has been a long journey since I came here, and I say this prayer to honor the bonds we have made, the struggles we went through, the struggles we have to conquer yet, and the happiness that we bring to each other. We thank you for the opportunity to help us learn one another and to help us grow into the people that we are today. Amen."

"Thank you for the food!" Everyone bellowed as they chowed their food down.

After nearly 45 minutes of eating, everyone slumped down in their seats.

"It's over..." Ryuji groaned.

"It's over...." Ann moaned.

"We did it... Hrk!" Shiho tried her best not to move a lot.

"We're champions now..." Morgan slammed his head on the table.

"I guess everyone is finally full with the meal." Maruki chuckled as Ren felt Kasumi lean onto his shoulders.

"Such a good meal. I wish I got seconds...." Kasumi murmured.

"We'll come back here soon."

"Excuse me." Kasumi stood up and made her way to the restrooms.

"It's finally nice of you to have a proper relationship again, Ren-kun." Haru declared happily.

"Y-Yeah..." Ren averted his gaze from everyone.

"Is something the matter, Ren?" Akechi caught him.

"Oh, uh, I was thinking of getting a slice of cake." He _lied._

"Oh. well, there aren't that much people left here. Go for it." Makoto urged him.

"Welp! If Ren is gonna slow down in getting a cake, I'll come with him!" Ryuji said. However, when he stood up he bumped into a middle-aged, bespectacled man.

"Watch it, asshole!"

"Ryuji!" Makoto scolded him.

"My apologies." The man spoke gently. "I wasn't aware of my movements. Please excuse me and my wife."

The two then left, but Ryuji is still hot-headed.

"Bastard shoving me."

"He didn't shove you, Ryuji. Calm down." Ren calmed him down.

Meanwhile, in the restroom, Kasumi just finished using the toiler and began washing her hands and face. However, she noticed that she has a red streak on the side of her hair.

"Odd. Had I always had this before?" She asked herself before clutching her head in pain as the voices came back clearer this time.

_....remember me....._

_........pains my heart......_

_....unforgivable....._

_.....love me for....._

_....bastard!_

"What's... wrong with me?" She frowned as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.

She then hurried back to the group.

As she arrived back, she spotted the group already talking to Ryuji with angry looks. As she paced back to them, she bumped into someone.

"Hey, watch it!"

Kasumi's voice was loud enough for the others to hear. But the other person's recovery from the bump made their eyes widen.

"Speak for yourself..... Sumire."

"......K-K-K-K....."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ........ ALL WILL BE REVEALED!
> 
> Stay tuned for the next chapter, which is basically titled as the text above.
> 
> P.S. The idea of Among Us involved in this chapter was due to a stream from not too long ago. It was Joe Zieja vs. everyone else from FEH (except Erika Harlacher, who doesn't have a role in FEH).


	34. All Will Be Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Kasumi and the others celebrate the victory of yesterday's championship but into another Kasumi with the same looks, same hair, same stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is gonna be pretty drama-heavy, so get ready for the heartache that may come.
> 
> Also, there is another plot twist, but read until the ending.
> 
> Let's get on with the story.....

"Speak for yourself.... Sumire."

"..... K-K-K-K...."

"Dude, two Kasumis?!" Ryuji howled.

Kasumi A stood up and glared at them. "The fuck do you mean two Kasumis? I'M THE REAL KASUMI YOSHIZAWA!"

Kasumi B stood up as well and jabbed her finger on her doppelganger. "I'm obviously the real Kasumi Yoshizawa. A sound of defense is obviously a sound of lying."

"You dirty whore of a sister!" Kasumi A barked, which then raised more eyebrows from everyone else.

"Sister?! Wait, could you be-"

Shiho was cut off by Kasumi B's words. "Are you seriously going to believe that I am Sumire Yoshizawa, my long-gone sister?"

"Cut the bullshit, Sumire!"

"You cut the bullshit, faker!"

"Enough!"

Both girls stopped as Ren growled.

"I don't know who is who right now, but clearly something is wrong."

Maruki placed his hand on Ren's shoulder. "Calm down, Ren. We can always talk without yelling."

"How about we ask her a few things to figure out who is who?" Yusuke suggested.

Kasumi A then pushed Kasumi B away. "Fine. Hit me with your best shot."

Akechi started. "Tell me. How do my lips taste like?"

Although everyone was shocked at Akechi's question, they let it slide for now.

Kasumi A answered first. "You taste like a warm piece of bread that is hot on the inside."

Akechi blushed. "I, uh..."

Kasumi B didn't back down. "And even if you do have a rough look, it;s the long-lasting effect that works."

".... Akechi?" Makoto inquired the detective.

"Blast them. Both actually sound like they kissed me."

Kasumi A then realized something. _I kissed Akechi? Blech! But if this means taking down Sumire and her pretentious horseshit, then fine!_

Ryuji went next. "What do you think about Paradise Suspicious?"

Kasumi B began. "It's a place where people of the same sex can have fun together without any form of discrimination as they dance the night away."

"Okay..."

Kasumi A fired back. "The place is owned by Kanji Tatsumi, who is rumored to open up an all-lesbians club somewhere in Tsukiyama."

_Not a chance, Sumire!_

".... Ryuji?"

"Damnit. They know stuff." Ryuji hung his head in defeat.

"You're giving them easy stuff." Shiho scoffed. "Let a professional speak out."

"Am I or am I not very sexual due to the influence of high school?"

Kasumi A began. "You are very sexual ever since you were raped by Suguru Kamoshida in your sophomore years. The story flew around Tokyo as a disgraced Olympian caught raping his own student made headlines. Rumor has it that you have resorted to prostitution to keep yourself financially stable for college."

Ren, Akechi, Ryuji, Futaba, Yusuke, Makoto, Haru, and Maruki looked at Shiho with shock. Even Shiho herself was appalled.

"You..."

Kasumi B responded to keep her alive. "But you only did that after you slept with Ren! After we met, I helped you stop the prostitution life and gave you a better one!"

Shiho tensed up a bit. "Goddamnit, doppelganger or not.... how the fuck did you know everything about that?"

Ann pulled Shiho before she could land two fists onto the two.

"Keep it together, Shiho!"

"Like fucking hell, I will!"

"Someone else ask them!" Ann grunted as she and Makoto pulled back Shiho.

"What do you know about Cafe Noir?" Haru asked her.

_Ah, shit. I only told Mom and Dad to get me something there. Think, think, think!_

"You have a five-star rating despite the recency of your opening, and thanks to my help... your business boomed beyond expectations." Kasumi A responded.

Kasumi B, however, had a better answer. "The menu has been well-balanced in terms of serving time and brewing time, the color of the place spells royalty, and the restrooms are phenomenal!"

"... Haru?"

"Both are correct." She frowned. "This is gonna be harder than I thought."

"Kasumi!"

Everyone turned to see the middle-aged man Ryuji bumped into earlier.

"Mom? Dad?" Kasumi B murmured.

The woman squinted her eyes at the other Kasumi. "Sumire?"

In quick defense, Kasumi B denied the name.

"I'm sorry. You must mistaken me for someone else."

"Bull-fucking-shit, we do!"

"Kasumi!" Her father scolded her. "Language!"

"What on Earth is going on here?!" Her mother demanded answers from everyone.

"We're figuring out who's the real Kasumi and who's the impostor." Yusuke answered.

"Hey, you don't gotta answer them straight!" Ryuji hissed.

"How dare you insult our daughter!" The woman screeched at Yusuke, who shrugged his shoulders.

Ann stepped forward. "Alright, then. How well do you know about my career?"

Kasumi B answered first. "You were Purple Albatross in the Neo-Featherman remake since your high school years. You have gained a lot of modelling gigs and acting roles due to your beauty and wonderful charm on the screen."

Kasumi A wasn't eager to surrender and answered what she knows. "However, you were involved against Mika Uchiha lately, who formulated your sex video as means of covering up her own scandals until an anonymous person spread them all over the internet and forced her to quit acting for good."

Ann gasped and looked at both of them.

"Damnit..... Ren, you're our saving grace."

Futaba hid behind Ren, as he inhaled for his questions.

"I'm gonna regret this..." He murmured. "How many times a week do we have sex?"

"Three!" Both answered.

"But-" Shinichi was cut off by his own daughter.

"Let me deal with this, Dad."

"Okay. I guess you, uh, know your research, Doppelganger."

Everyone behind him wanted to snicker at his embarrassment, but now wasn't the time.

"We have danced together in Shibuya Square the Yellow Breeze Dance?"

"Yes!" Both answered again.

_Damnit, this is unfair!_

"Hey, why not ask them things that only Kasumi knows well?" Hanaki suggested.

"I agree. It'll make things faster for us." Maruki agreed.

"Alright then."

"Your favorite fruit."

"Strawberries!" Both glared at each other. "And apples!" They glared again.

"Reason why you are called the Scarlet Scorpion instead of the Scarlet Blossom."

"Because of my finishing pose!"

"And how deadly I am on stage against a bunch of losers!"

As much as Kasumi A would try to expose Kasumi B, she isn't kidding about her calling the competition a bunch of losers.

"The website where we first met."

"Huggr!"

_How the hell does she know?! She doesn't even have one!_

Ren sighed as he went for one more question.

"The first flirtatious thing you said to me when we met on that website."

Kasumi B began to panic as Kasumi A watched.

_Checkmate, dear sister._

"You have the most suave smile I've ever seen."

Ren and the others looked at Kasumi B, who was beginning to tremble. However, before she could answer, Yusuke pointed out something Kasumi B wished was never seen.

"Is it me or did you have that red streak when we came here?"

_Red streak?! She used hair coloring!_

Kasumi A ran into a table and grabbed a jug of water to throw onto Kasumi B.

"Kasumi!" Shinichi scolded her again.

"Look!"

"S-Sumire?!" Hanaki shouted.

In front of everyone now was a girl with red hair. The brown coloring began to drip as everyone was stunned.

"What is the eye color in my picture when we met online?" Kasumi now asked the questions to Ren.

"... Sumi?" He ignored the question and looked at Sumire.

"R-R-Ren...."

"Dude, we got played." Futaba said.

"We were with the sister the whole time?" Yusuke was in shock as well.

"I can't believe all of you are dumb. Especially you, Detective Prince!" Kasumi insulted the group, but Akechi made sure he wasn't THAT stupid.

"I honestly had my suspicions that she wasn't the real Kasumi Yoshizawa. But between her and you, I prefer her." Akechi lamented.

"Why didn't you tell us, Akechi!?" Ryuji hissed.

"Haven't you forgotten, Sakamoto? Our quick vacation to Okinawa with Takamaki last March?"

Ann then figured something out. "Where were you when the accident happened? Driver's seat or passenger seat?"

"P-P-P-P-"

"Answer them, Sumire!" Her mother scolded.

"Passenger seat!" She was this close to crying.

"When the accident happened, Kasumi Yoshizawa was reported as the driver of the broken vehicle." Akechi spoke with a heavy heart. "The woman you pulled out was Kasumi Yoshizawa herself. What was her eye color when I told you to check her vitals?"

Ryuji began to frown. "Brown."

"Our Kasumi has pristine eyesight, but would wear contacts due to her sensitivity to dust." Hanaki explained. "I don't how you got the contacts, but I am still mad at you."

"I...."

"You had us worried sick, for Christ's sake! How many times do we have to tell you to stop running away?"

"I...."

"Forget it, Dad." Kasumi tapped his shoulder. "She's just gonna stutter and stutter even as she cries."

"Kasumi!"

"It's true!"

Shinichi wanted to scold her, but she is right about another thing.

Ren tried to approach Sumire.

"Sumi..."

She shied away from him, letting Hanaki have the idea that she would go with them instead.

"Fine. We'll accept you to the room for tonight. But don't you dare think you will get away for what you did."

"... No."

"What did you say?" Kasumi huffed at Sumire, who finally broke into tears.

"No! I'm not going back home!"

Her parents were shocked, but not Kasumi.

"Tch. As expected from you."

Sumire wanted to slap Kasumi in the face, but instead punched her in the eye.

"Sumire! Apologize to your sister!" Shinichi reprimanded her.

"No! All this time, you've been more caring about Kasumi's needs more than mine!" She started venting, catching the attention of some of the staff. "Every goddamn day, it's always 'How are you, Kasumi?' and no 'How are you, Sumire?' at home! When there are achievements, it's always Kasumi who gets the glory! Friends? Kasumi! Love? Kasumi! It just feels like everything is all about Kasumi after she fucking won that fucking contest years ago! You all rubbed my achievements and happiness as if they were only trash to you idiots!"

Hanaki slapped Sumire in the face. "Don't you dare raise your voice at us! Raise it again and you are nothing but a-"

"Disgrace?! Huh? A disgrace to the point where Uncle Tojo wants me dead instead of Kasumi during that crash? A disgrace to the point where I had to sacrifice my own motherfucking life just to keep Kasumi's reputation up?! A disgrace where I have betrayed my own friends tonight at the verge of my heart breaking everyday? Go ahead! Disown me again! I've already felt enough pain in my heart...."

Everyone was silent. Kasumi couldn't even think of a comeback nor would she care to think of one either.

"Kasumi..." Her father this time tried to reach her, but she scooted further.

"Look at the number of months that has passed. You never bothered to look for me earlier or even try to reach out to my social media for my whereabouts. You only stayed in the hospital a lot to comfort Kasumi when she was in a coma. You spent a lot of money for her healthcare. It felt as if I was never your daughter to begin with...."

She sobbed. In front of everyone. She looked at the group one last time as she backed away to an elevator.

"I'm sorry, everyone.... I'm sorry, Ren-senpai."

She disappeared into the elevator as it went down.

Ryuji bolted first.

"Out of my way!" He began jabbing the elevator button.

"It's no use, blondie. When she starts running away, she refuses to talk to anyone."

"Maybe, but she taught me to be considerate about others' feelings and give chance for a calm talk!" Ryuji barked at her as he looked at everyone else.

"THE HELL YOU ALL STANDING THERE FOR?! WE GOTTA GO AFTER HER!"

Everyone looked down, still trying to take in what just happened.

"SHIHO! SHE HELPED YOU GO AWAY FROM THE PROSTITUTION LIFE, DIDN'T SHE?! SHE BECAME ONE OF YOUR BEST FRIENDS IN A LONG TIME, AND SHE PLANNED YOUR BIRTHDAY PARTY ALONG WITH ANN! SHE CARED FOR YOU LIKE A SISTER!"

Shiho wiped off a few tears.

"ANN! YOU'RE THE FIRST PERSON SHE HAS MET IN THIS SHITTY CITY! YOU ALSO BECAME A SISTER TO HER DESPITE HOW AWKWARD THINGS WERE AT FIRST! SHE HELPED YOU GROW OUT OF YOUR UNEASE, DIDN'T SHE?!"

Ann also wiped off a few tears.

"FUTABA! SHE HELPED YOU SOLVE THAT FUCKING PROBLEM WITH YOUR UNCLE! YOU AND SOJIRO DON'T NEED TO BE SCARED ANYMORE! DON'T YOU WANNA HELP HER OUT AS WELL?!"

Futaba sobbed as she took her glasses off. Ryuji looked at Ren, hoping he would start the initiative.

"REN-REN! SHE'S YOUR GIRLFRIEND, FOR FUCK'S SAKE! YOU SWORE TO BE WITH HER ALL THE TIME! YOU'RE HER LIGHT, HER LOVE, HER EVERYTHING! DOESN'T THAT MATTER TO YOU?"

"Of course it does, damnit!" Ren answered back, scaring everyone. "But...."

Ryuji shook his head in anger.

"Fuck you all!"

He then entered the elevator and descended to look for Sumire.

Makoto was next to stand up and made her way to the elevator.

"Makoto?"

"Who gave you the information, Yoshizawa-san?"

Her deathly glare reached the fear level of Hanaki and Shinichi.

"A woman named Sae Niijima was around and she seemed familiar with Kasumi."

Makoto cursed and pressed the button.

"I can't believe Sis did this..."

"Wait up, Mako-chan!"

Makoto turned to see Haru joining her.

Kasumi rolled her eyes. "You aren't going to find her anywhere after her stunt tonight. Whenever she's upset, she's very good at hiding."

"That's because a family like you forgot the fact that she has feelings as well!" Makoto raged onto the three. "As an incoming single mother myself, I will not tolerate you treating her like a pet who can just please you whenever you want or become the punching bag whenever you're upset."

Maruki marched towards the ladies.

"Being a father myself, I'm not gonna stand by and repeat the same mistake of abandoning what was supposed to be hope."

"You're a dad, Maruki-san?" Haru asked as everyone heard her.

"Yes. Yes, I am. But I am not responsible enough to care for a child that Rumi deserves to love more."

Yusuke went next.

"I may be orphaned, but I do see Kasu- Sumire as a wonderful comrade who guided me away from my slump. She is merely my only family left in Tokyo."

Ann, Shiho, Morgan, and Futaba followed, but went to the next elevator.

"Aren't you coming, Ren?" Akechi asked as he made his way to the elevator.

They all saw Ren, standing alone.

"I.... I'll just stay here."

"What!?"

"Are you serious?!"

"Look, I know I want to look for her as well. But I gotta lay down what has happened so far with-"

Kasumi interrupts him with a sultry kiss. "Forget about it. Just tell me and my family about yourself for now, then we can talk about the events after tonight."

"You can't be fucking serious!" Ann was furious, but Morgan stopped her.

"If it means making them realize how Sumire did this for Kasumi and not for herself, then we'll trust you in this."

Akechi looked at him with icy eyes. "You're really sure you'll accommodate these heathens instead of looking for your girlfriend?"

Kasumi looked at them.

"Wanna know something, dipshits? The moment she revealed her true form and betrayed you all, Ren included, it means she has broken all your trust. For Ren, it's enough for a break-up."

"Wanna say that in front of my face?!" Ann was about to charge at her as Morgan and Akechi force her into the elevator.

"Lady Ann, no!"

"We'll deal with this bitch afterwards!"

However, Akechi himself had a plan and leaned onto Morgan's ears. "Return back to this floor undetected. Update us on what's happening and don't get caught."

Morgan nods as everyone went down.

Outside the Wilton Hotel, Ryuji kicked the trash can by the alley. Said trash can (and follow-up cursing) gave the group his location.

"Ryuji!" Ann called out.

"She's not around this area." He growled. "I was expecting her to hide in an alley or something."

"Hey, where's Morgan?" Futaba asked.

"He'll be doing us a favor. Now let's find Sumire-san before we lose track of her." Akechi ordered as everyone splits up to search for Sumire all over Shibuya. Roughly twenty minutes later, they rendezvous outside the Wilton Hotel again.

"Shit! She's not around the Residential Area." Shiho snarled.

"She's nowhere in Central Street as well." Yusuke spoke.

"We asked the Ginza Line if she took a train somewhere, but the conductors said they haven't seen her." Ann gave her report.

"The Inogami Line as well." Futaba as well.

"I tried the JL line to Aoyama, and no sight of her from the conductors." Makoto frown at her report as Ryuji helped her from fainting.

"This is horrible..." Haru spoke in a downtrodden tone.

"I can't believe she lied to us all." Makoto said.

"But she only did it for her twin. And yet..." Ann didn't finish her words as she felt guilty.

"Kasumi- I mean, Sumire...." Shiho muttered. "She did all of this for her..."

"And of all people, Ren didn't join us like the simpleton that he is." Akechi remarked as Morgan suddenly appeared.

"Hey, Mona!"

"G-G-Guys!" He tried to catch his breath. "You have to hear this...."

Morgan played a recording of Ren's conversation with the Yoshizawa family. After seemingly ten minutes, the next words from the recording caught everyone off-guard...... and Ren red-handed.

_"I can't believe you fell for such a petty trick from Sumire."_

_"I didn't fall for the trick."_

_"Why is that?"_

_"Because I knew she was pretending to be you."_

"For real?" Ryuji was betrayed not once, but twice.

"H-HE KNEW!?" Ann and Shiho felt their rage go to an all-time high.

_"Why would you do that to our daughter, Amamiya-san?"_

_"Well, to be fairly honest... it was for my thesis. She showed three different personalities and I took my chance."_

_"Isn't that unethical? Unless you asked her permission."_

_"Of course I did. A few dates here and there were the starting points of it."_

"You're fucking kidding me." Maruki was ashamed and disappointed at Ren.

All this time... Sumire Yoshizawa pretended to be Kasumi to achieve her sister's goals and dreams at the cost of her sanity and life.....

.

.

.

.... and Ren Amamiya _knew about it and remained silent_.

**_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**

**BONUS ART:** Sumire, Ren, and Kasumi: The December of Disarray

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes. Ren knew she was pretending the whole time. While he isn't busy interviewing his four participants in the asylum, he was busy using Sumire for his research. (Just like how Maruki used her in the game.)
> 
> Poor Sumi can't catch a break. :(
> 
> With the truth finally revealed, how will Ren excuse himself out of this one when his friends confront him for it? (Obviously he won't, but we'll see how it goes) Stay tuned for the chapter, "The Monster Within Us", as the first half shows the conversation of Ren and the Yoshizawa family while the second half is Ren vs. his friends in LeBlanc......


	35. The Monster Within Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Sumire reveals the truth to everyone and runs away to somewhere. Ryuji rounds the group except Ren to search for her, only to discover that Ren knew the truth all along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. The twist was a big WTF moment. So this chapter will now tell you how and why he did it.
> 
> Whoever has a say about last chapter and this chapter's events, do comment so I can know your thoughts.
> 
> With that said, let's learn more!

Seconds after everyone entered the elevator, Ren was tugged back to the seat by Kasumi while her parents carefully followed them.

"We're, uh, sorry for letting you get involved in this." Shinichi apologized.

"Uh, don't sweat it, Mister..."

"Yoshizawa. Shinichi Yoshizawa. I am Kasumi's father.... as well as Sumire's."

Ren caught his tone being resentful in mentioning Sumire's name. He then shrugged it off and went along.

Meanwhile, Morgan returns to the buffet floor via emergency stairs and sneaks his way to their table.

"Alright, recording app in my phone." He whispered to himself. "Don't fail me now..."

"This here is my wife, Hanaki Yoshizawa."

Ren then offered his hand, but Kasumi puts it down.

"No need for formalities, Ren." Kasumi spoke as she laid her hand on his chest. "They already know about you."

"Oh, uh, okay." He then looked at Kasumi, who stared at him with glistening eyes.

"We're so sorry you had to bear the burden of looking at our daughter pretending to be her sister." Hanaki spoke.

"No, I-"

"And we're very sorry that she had to make you do things that hindered you." Shinichi said after her.

"Look, I can ex-"

"It's okay, Ren-Ren." Kasumi went beyond the line by calling him that while she gripped her free hand to his. "It's all over now. I'm here now, that's all that matters."

"I, uh..."

"Now that we're here, we'll go grab some food first." Shinichi called the waiter to clear the table that the group just ate in for their food to eat. "You still have a reservation on this table, correct?"

Ren can only nod as the three Yoshizawas leave to get their food.

Morgan can only hide and hold whatever cringe he wants to vomit out. He then noticed Ren pull out his thesis paper from his bag.

"Huh? Research papers?"

"Well....." Ren began to contemplate on something.

"We're baaaaaaack!" Kasumi sung as she brought back the exact same food Sumire brought earlier.

"Apologies for our daughter having a lot of food on her plate."

"Dad!"

"She's a growing girl, Shinichi. Though we should teach her how to eat less now."

"Mom!"

Ren just chuckled, earning Kasumi's attention.

"About time you turned that frown upside down!" She cheered.

"I guess I shouldn't be worried then." He sheepishly answered.

"So you're still schooling, right?" Shinichi asked Ren. "What program are you enrolled in?"

"I'm a psychology student, and by tomorrow I will be presenting my paper regarding 'multiple personas leading to a psychological damage that would result to false identity and a broken cognition'." He answered honestly.

"Ooh, interesting! So mind if I read it?" Kasumi wiggled her fingers as she tried to snatch the paper off him.

"Sorry, Kasumi. Confidentiality rules."

Kasumi pouted as her mother explained it to her.

"Amamiya-kun is not wrong, though. That is how you will handle college once your begin next year."

"Ugh, I forgot I have to do that." Kasumi slumped as she ate the black forest cake. "Can't I just ditch it and become a professional athlete instead?"

"Well, gymnastics isn't as famous as basketball or soccer."

Kasumi elbowed him in the ribs.

"What was that for?" He grunted in pain.

"Nothing!" She chirped before pouting again. "I can't believe you fell for such a petty trick from Sumire."

"I didn't fall for the trick."

Shinichi and Hanaki then glanced at him. "Why is that?"

"Because I knew she was pretending to be you." He said it while facing Kasumi.

"Wait, what?!" Kasumi nearly dropped her cake. "Why?"

"Why would you do that to our daughter, Amamiya-san?" Shinichi squinted a deathly stare at Ren.

"Well, to be fairly honest... it was for my thesis. She showed three different personalities and I took my chance."

"Isn't that unethical? Unless you asked her permission."

"Of course I did. A few dates here and there were the starting points of it."

Shinichi and Hanaki looked at each other, now curious as to what Ren wrote about Sumire.

"Mind if you can break the confidentiality rule? This is our daughter we're talking about." Hanaki pushed him for sharing.

"If you insist..." Ren then opened the folder.

_Name: SY_

_DoB: March 25, 20XX_

_Place of Birth: Okinawa_

_Height: 5 ft 4 inches_

_Weight: 118 lbs (Seriously?!)_

_First observation: Subject is antsy often. Keeps a lot of things to herself. Projects herself as an anxious girl with sudden outbursts._

_Second observation: Subject is fond of romantic stuff, but easily jealous with past relationships and insecure about wanting one._

_Third observation: Subject was with a former volleyball star in a recent gambling hub. Quite dangerous and contradicting for her._

**_First assumption: Subject is highly sensitive to a lot of topics pertaining her sister, the actual KY, as well as athletics and pressure. But a sudden personality change in assisting volleyball star have a gambling addiction. (What else will she pull off?)_ **

_Fourth observation: Subject was exhilarated after acing a cooking examination. She may have interest in cooking, after all._

_Fifth observation: Subject is harmed by a rascal in the streets. Incapable of defending herself. Yet... she shows vulnerability._

_Sixth observation: Subject went beyond the line of her capabilities and sets up an abusive brother-in-law of a shop owner to his arrest as well as forcing a doctor to make amends with his estranged ex-fiance._

**_Second assumption: Slight personality switches from time to time. Nothing new coming out from her. Will exterminate observations if personality dominance has not occurred._ **

_Seventh observation: Subject brings up past memories and makes them into a viral trend._

_Eighth observation: Subject suddenly bursted away after eavesdropping on an uncalled meeting regarding sports and her scholarship._

_Ninth observation: Subject returns to site of breakdown with a new appearance. Open to sexual conversations and flirting._

**_Third assumption: Psychological trigger must have caused her to embrace her other personality. Old personality is yet to surface at an occasional but slow rate. Continue observation and note more changes._ **

_Tenth observation: Subject begins addressing herself as her sister even to the point of using mannerisms identical to hers._

_Eleventh observation: Subject enters sports preliminaries and wins it. Breaks everyone's impressions of her sister's signature moves._

_Twelfth observation: Subject is visibly frustrated with the hunt I have given her. She seems to have a disinterest in adventure and mystery._

**_Fourth assumption: Her psychological state is distorted. Her pretentious eagerness to continue as her sister is getting dangerous. Must take a necessary action to observe another meaning to her psyche._ **

_Thirteenth observation: Subject has fully accepted the idea of romance and sex as opposed to the first few observations. Now open to comment and criticize anything in public._

_Fourteenth observation: Subject has succeeded in winning a cook-off. Uses recipes that she only knows and not her sister._

_Final observation: Subject is currently under training with her coach. Beginning to lose focus._

**_Final assumption: She has created a new personality by merging both the new and old personalities. Imminent breakdown may be years from now, but she has now believed herself to be KY entirely._ **

**_Conclusion:_ **

**_SY has been harboring an inferiority complex to the point where she feels guilty for her sister's accident. Using the privilege of being a twin, SY has discarded her own life to become KY until she has developed the skill to be SY and KY at the same time. She is mentally unstable and proves the thesis correct for the third time._ **

"Wow. So she's been crazy this whole time?" Kasumi spoke after reading.

"Not really crazy. But she made herself insane by believing she is you." Ren blurted out.

Shinichi sighed. "Let's not go harsh on her, Hanaki. Maybe we could ground her for three months for running away and pretending to be Kasumi with numerous risks in her hands, but she is still our daughter."

Hanaki pinched her nose bridge. "Fine. Once we find her, we'll be scolding the living heavens off her before we go home."

"Wait! What about her schooling? She still has one semester to fulfill." Ren pointed out.

"We'll pay the school in full to make sure she learns her lesson about running away and causing a lot of trouble for us to handle." Hanaki worded as she returned the folder. "As for her academics, she will continue it after Kasumi finishes her first year."

Shinichi then glared at Kasumi. "Speaking of sex, how many times did you wish to do it with Amamiya-san? Don't think that the little quiz from earlier will slide from our ears, young woman."

Kasumi nervously laughed. "Whoopsies."

"Even you, Kasumi?" Hanaki sighed. "Well, we won't ask Sumire that, since it's none of our business."

The parents stood up and gave him money

"Here's to cover our expenses in tonight's dinner." Hanaki told him. "We'll just call the police to help your friends out."

"Thank you, Hanaki-san." Ren spoke out.

"We'll be staying here until Christmas End. So until then, see you later!" Kasumi gave him a two-minute kiss before joining her parents in the elevator. She blew a kiss, to which Ren caught as he called the waiter to pay for everything.

"You're joking me..." Morgan finished recording their conversation with a mortified look as he ran to an elevator, making sure Ren doesn't spot him.

_Hours later...._

Around 11:45 pm, Ren arrives back in Yongen-Jaya to find LeBlanc still lit. He then sees everyone huddled in the far booth near the stairs and enters the cafe. The door's bell jingled and alerted everyone, who then displayed scowls and glares.

"Hey, guys...." He could already feel the awkward air around them. "What's with the-"

Ryuji walks towards him and jabs him in the face.

"Son of a b-"

"You asshole!"

Ren got up and held his face. "The hell you're talking about?"

Maruki held up Morgan's phone. "This." He then played the recording, angering Ren.

"What the hell, guys!?"

"We should be asking YOU that!" Ann marched onto him and slapped his face very hard. :You fucking used Kas- Sumire for your damn research!"

"How long have you known she wasn't Kasumi?!" Maruki was boiling mad at his own protege.

"I.... Wait, why does that matter?"

Ryuji gripped his collar and punched him again before Ann and Shiho stepped between the two.

"You fucking know why, you piece of shit!" Ryuji barked at Ren.

"Come on then! I can take on you, Ryuji!" Ren began to spit arrogance as he prepared himself with a fighting stance.

"Just tell the truth, damnit! Or I'm telling Sojiro to kick out for good!" Futaba threatened him.

"You wouldn't dare!"

"He knows, Ren." Shiho looked at him. "So stop lying already."

"When we first came here to LeBlanc. That's when I noticed. But-"

"But why did you use her? I told you to keep an eye on her, not use her as an experiment!"

"What else can I do, Doc?! We were running low on participants who displayed multiple personalities and-"

"That doesn't give you a reason to use a depressed girl like Sumire for your own academic bullshit!" Makoto hissed at him while Haru calmed her down.

"Mako-chan, calm down. You shouldn't be very angry or violent. Just say the word." Haru then glared at Ren with murderous intent.

Yusuke shook his head in disappointment. "After all that pep talk we had in Makoto's breakdown not too long ago... you gave us a falsified glint of hope for us."

"Ren." Maruki called his attention. "Have I not told you already that she is very suicidal?!"

"She isn't trying to kill herself now, is she?"

Everyone was baffled by Ren's choice of words. Shiho then cracked her knuckles and punched Ren in the stomach.

"YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN ABOUT ME!? OR WERE THE TIMES WE SLEPT TOGETHER POINTLESS?!"

Ann then remembered about Shiho's suicide attempt, and how Ren would comfort her a lot when her trauma would return every now and then.

"You asshole..." Ryuji muttered. "Letting her go around town like a lunatic. And you're happy with that?!"

"Hey, I didn't ask for this! I had no choice!"

"You had a choice, Ren Amamiya." Ann took the last straw. "And you wished to play with her heart like a yo-yo."

Soon after, Sojiro arrived with a gruffed expression.

"You sicken me, kid."

"Sojiro, I-"

"Don't bother calling me by my name. Or Futaba's, for that matter."

Futaba flinched, but she stood up and walked to Sojiro. Makoto was next as Ryuji and Haru helped her in moving whereas Yusuke and Morgan followed him.

"Lock up after everyone leaves. And don't bother waiting for me to start working tomorrow. You manage your damn defense time and make sure there are customers here tomorrow."

"But-"

"NO BUTS! THIS IS YOUR DAMN PUNISHMENT, YOU DAMN CRIMINAL!"

Ren froze. He hoped Sojiro would not brand him that after how many years.

"As far as we can conclude, Sumire performed an identity theft. Rather than snap her out and admit to it, you became her accomplice." Ann shoved her shoulder onto his as she and Shiho exit the cafe.

"Good luck fucking the real Kasumi, Ren. May we forever vomit at the thought, sight, and sound of it." Shiho snarled as she left.

Ren then sat on the booth and slammed his fist with his might, breaking the table into half. He was visibly upset. He then marched to the attic where Akechi was seen standing.

"Are you done breaking the cafe?"

"What? You gonna lecture me too?"

Akechi then turned around and aimed a gun at him.

"Years ago, you met me as an assassin under Shido's grasp. Had you not interfered with the assassination of Kunikazu Okumura, I would have remained to my fate as a puppet to his shit. Now that I have heard everything from the recording, I am already contemplating whether to kill you for your insolence and despicable actions."

Ren looked at him with sullen eyes. "Come on, man."

"You were also a puppet to Shido, if you would remember. With your trial, he managed to make the platform of unruly children and delinquency running amok all over Japan. When you overturned your case and exposed majority of the politicians' corruption, you became the puppet master. Yet you refused to live the life of a well-known influence and went on as if nothing happened."

Ren placed his hands in his pockets. "Where are you getting at, if you won't fire the gun at me?"

Akechi smirked. "Isn't it obvious? To guilt-trip you more."

"How?"

Akechi puts his gun back in its holster. "You're Sumire Yoshizawa's puppet master. And just like her family, you're willing to discard her when everything is said and done."

"That's not true!" Ren grabbed him by the collar and slammed him to the wall.

"Oh really? The recording says otherwise. You seemed practically undisturbed when you talked to them."

Ren's grip tightened as the rage was evident in his eyes.

"If you believe I'm bluffing, then punch me so hard I would be permanently blind in one eye." Akechi dared him to.

Ren began to shook, and he lets him go. Akechi fixed his coat and walks past him.

"I wish you luck in your research defense. Though I doubt everyone else will look at you the same way again."

Ren stayed quiet as Akechi then continued.

"You used Takamaki to fish out any connected corruptions in the entertainment industry that would lead to Kaneshiro and Kawanabe's assistant, used Haru Okumura to grow closer to Okumura Food's controversies without me firing a bullet, used Makoto as a pawn for you to pry into police business to find the enemy within the force, used Shiho Suzui to alleviate whatever sexual frustration you had while investigating the school itself, and let's not forget Hifumi Togo, whose mother committed suicide after you exposed her for rigging her own daughter's games and asking for favors from Shido."

Akechi chuckled, annoying Ren.

"Oh, how you love using people when you hate being used by others. Such an irony to the fallen hero of Japan's youth."

He then leaves LeBlanc, but not after telling Ren to fix the table before Sojiro will kill him.

For the first time in who knows how many years, Ren Amamiya feels alone again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big question: is Ren forgivable or not? What do you think?
> 
> As for those who ask why Akechi has a gun in this fic, he was a former assassin and current detective, after all. His gun will always be with him, but not in his briefcase this time.
> 
> What will happen to Sumire? Stay tuned for "Shutting You All Away", as her depressive state begins to make her two best friends worry while the others (except Ren) look for ways to cheer her up....


	36. Shutting You All Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Ren shared to the Yoshizawa family about his findings towards Sumire. The group disowns him after they discovered his ulterior motive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys!
> 
> I know what you're thinking: a surprise upload?! And also.... dual fic updates!? Well, yeah. Consider it as a birthday special. (Uploaded another chapter of The War That Ends The World as well, so check that out also)
> 
> Man, this arc is so upsetting, huh? We know this will lead to 'Eventual Happy Ending', but it isn't easy in building a happy ending without struggles.
> 
> This chapter will be quite long since it will cover a lot of stuff. And expect a lot of poor Sumi moments.
> 
> Meanwhile, I'm considering changing the uploading schedules from Monday and Thursday to Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for this fic. But I need to make sure my decision would not be affected by any surprise incidents.
> 
> With that said....

While the others were looking for her, Sumire hid in Inokashira Park and cried there after she cried her heart out despite the same result of things.

"Why... why can't they just understand?" Sumire sobbed as she buried her face on her knees. The dress she prepared for tonight is now damp and dirty from what happened, and she could care less about that. She just got exposed of her lies, and little did she know of _another person's lies._

_It's hopeless, Sumire._

"Get out of my head." Sumire begged for the voices in her to leave.

_You knew the plan was a bust from the very start. You knew Kasumi would pull through and survive the accident._

"Do you think I wanted her to die?!" She shouted in an upset tone.

_When you shut me away to the back of your mind in order to fulfill the Kasumi persona, you internally wished for her to die._

"NO! I wouldn't!" Sumire covered her ears as she tries to ignore the voices. "I'm not that bad! I don't wish ill on Kasumi!"

_Oh, but she always gets everything. Think about it._

Sumire continued to cry as she lets the voice keep talking.

_She gets the credit for the routines you pulled off back in September and last night. She gets credit for the cooking examinations you've been doing the whole year. She gets the credit as well for helping her ever-so-caring friends... the very same ones you betrayed!_

"Please stop.... I can't take any more of it..." Sadly, the voices ignored her plea.

_Oh, and let's not forget poor old Ren. The man you fell in love with for the first time. The man you finally lost your V-card to. The man who you thought would care for you forever...._

Sumire stopped crying when she heard a cry of pain from a small duckling. She finds it hiding behind a bush near the lake as she noticed how badly injured it got. She sits next to the duckling and cradles it. Unfortunately, the duckling dies from its wounds, horrifying Sumire. She then remembered it was the same duckling from before when she and Ren first met.

"No! Please wake up, little ducky!" She attempted to save its life. "You still have a family to go to! They're waiting by the lake.... Please....."

She gave up and wept again.

"Can't I do anything right?" She muttered with a shaky voice. She then decided to find a thrown box and turn it into a makeshift casket for the duckling. Going back to the spot where she hid, she dug a hole deep enough to put it in. She tearfully places the duck inside the box and closes it gently.

"May you find peace, little ducky." She mourned for a while as she closed the hole.

_See? Everywhere you go, life isn't in your favor._

"Please leave me alone..."

Unbeknownst to her, a creepy guy was approaching her from behind.

"Maybe later." His voice sent shivers down her spine as she gets tackled by the man. Attempting to rape her, the guy immediately unbuckles his belt. But Sumire squirmed a lot that he tries beating her to unconsciousness.

"Listen here, little lady! You have no idea what I'm capable of!" He lashed at her as she suddenly grabbed a rock and bludgeoned him to death.

"LEAVE! ME! ALONE!"

She snapped back to her senses and realized she killed him.

"What have I done?"

_Murder, obviously. But then again, his pants down could also mean he was killed for sexual offense._

Sumire looked at her hands as blood dripped from them. She remembered how bloody her hands were when she and Kasumi crashed last March.

"What have I done?"

_I just told you that-_

"JUST GO AWAY!" Sumire shook her head and ran away.

Meanwhile, minutes after confronting Ren and leaving LeBlanc, Morgan asked Ann and Shiho a favor. But it also means waiting for him in Inokashira Park.

"Jeez, can he hurry it up?" Ann said impatiently.

"Listen, Ann. Everyone's tired. Whatever Morgan wants to show us again, it should be about Sumire." Shiho tried to calm her best friend down.

"I know. It's just-" She suddenly stopped after noticing policemen in their path.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. But this path is closed for the night. Even though a couple like you shouldn't be having a lovely walk here at this time." The officer informed them. While Shiho furrowed her brows, Ann blushed.

"Hey! I-It's not what it looks like!" Ann defended herself while Shiho asked the police officer.

"What happened here?"

"A man was bludgeoned to death with a rock smashing his face in. But due to the state he is in, he must have been trying to take a piss in the tree or he has weird fetishes lurking in his system."

"Chief, I think someone buried a duckling." A younger officer reported.

"Why the hell does that matter?"

"If he was gonna piss at the tree... or behind it... wouldn't it be grave defiling?"

The chief sighed. "Well, regardless... this man was murdered for a crime he was gonna do."

Ann and Shiho exited the park as they notice Morgan watching them.

"How long were you there!?"

"Not long enough." He gives the girls a huge bag.

"Whoa! Donations to Ann?"

"Hey!"

"No, they're not. It's just... an old lady gave me this when I visited your condominium regarding Mika." Morgan explained.

"Old lady? You mean Kujo-san?" Ann tilted her head.

"Yeah. She told me to give it back to the rightful owner because a shit ton of stuff are not worth trashing up."

Shiho looked at the bag, then at Ann. "Should we check it out in your place?"

"Like now?"

Shiho pouted at her. "Don't tell me your parents are coming home for the holidays."

"You damn well know they won't." Ann sighed. "I wish they did, though."

Shiho shook her head as she lamented. "Yeah, same here. My parents can't come home due to the snowstorm in Northern Japan."

"Well, good luck looking at them." Morgan then waved them goodbye as he walks back to his place.

Sumire wandered around the streets of Kichijoji, hoping for a place to change her clothes for now.

"Please let there be a store open..." She murmured as she saw a secondhand shop open. "Phew!"

She ran in and bought an orange midriff shirt, brown cycling shorts, and new underwear. She kept her wet and dirty clothes in the bag as she wandered off once again, contemplating on going home since Ann knows about her true identity now.

_You can always sleep on the streets._

Sumire gripped the bag tightly as the voices returned. She took a shortcut in heading for Nakano, hoping Ann would not cross paths with her.

_Just give it up and accept defeat. You'll always be worthless Sumire._

_Not only that, you're gonna shamed not only by your family and her friends, but by the entire Japan after what happened._

Sumire continued crying as she looks down on the path and just kept walking. When she arrived in Nakano, she rushed to Ann's condominium. However, she was seen by both Ann and Shiho, who were just chatting about her.

"Sumire?" Shiho squinted to see clearly. The girl in question froze for a second before running to the elevator.

"Shit!" Ann tried to catch up, but failed as the doors closed. "To the stairs!"

"Oh, hell no!" Shiho protested. "We're waiting!"

"But what if she locks me out of my own unit?!" Ann yelled at her. And Shiho just shrugged.

Sumire arrives to unlock the door quickly and make her way to the bedroom. Now with a more comfortable place to cry, she locks the door and jumps onto the bed face-flat, her cries now louder and muffled by her pillow.

Meanwhile, Ann and Shiho arrives to see the door slightly ajar.

"Toldja so." Ann ignored Shiho's comment as she swung the door.

"Sumire! Sumire! I know you're in here!" Ann began checking the places until she is met with a locked bedroom door. Before Ann could bang the door, she hears the muffled crying of Sumire going louder. "Look, Sumire-"

_"GO AWAY!"_

Ann was taken aback by her outburst, kinda like how they first interacted before. But she dismissed that and gently knocked on the door.

"Sumire-chan?"

_"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE! PLEASE!"_

Sighing in defeat, Ann decided not to pressure her. Shiho then punched Ann in the back.

"What the hell, Shiho?"

"You made me carry this shit." Shiho spoke in a deadpan tone while Ann rubbed her back. "So... what's all this junk about?"

Ann then grabbed the bag and emptied the contents. She and Shiho were shocked to find the Purple Albatross shirt Sumire bought back then, a few school books, more of her clothes and stuff, and more importantly... her diary.

"A diary?" Ann picked it up.

"Well, it's quite different from the notebook she lugs around everyday." Shiho dryly said as Ann attempted to open the diary. Gladly, she chose not to.

"What's wrong?" Shiho asked.

_"WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND?! NO ONE WANTS TO BE FRIENDS WITH ME!"_

Ann can only assume she is beginning to talk to herself, but Shiho frowned at the downfall of her new best friend.

The next day, Ren managed to successfully defend his research to the panelists. As he is congratulated, he is offered an entire semester away from thesis now as an offer to do part-time internship as an assistant psychiatrist was offered. He reluctantly accepted it as he was then told to bind the papers for publication. Upon exit from the conference room, he and Maruki cross paths. Maruki deliberately ignores Ren and went on his way.

_Damnit._

He would then receive a text message from Kasumi to bring her to all the places he took Sumire with and asked for some sexy time as well.

"Well, who am I to turn her down?" He muttered to himself. As he walked, the other students then looked at him and began whispering things.

_So Yoshizawa-san was a faker?_

_No, she's the less talented twin._

_Less talented? She nailed the prelims AND the interschool competition!_

_True, but that doesn't excuse you from pretending to be the more famous sister._

_So she must have paid the school for them to help her cover her tracks._

_Dude, Noriyaki was still up her ass. How would he, of all people, hide her tracks?_

Ren clenched his fist as the whispers grew more.

_So she tricked Amamiya into fucking her._

_Man, that has got to be fucked up._

_Hey, she needed the skills to pay the bills, right?_

That comment pissed Ren off as he grabbed the student and punched him thrice.

"Say one more word about her! I dare you!"

A voice from behind him caught his attention.

"Ren."

He turned around and saw Haru. She wasn't in her usual cheery disposition; she was more of a murderous huntress.

"I appreciate you would _even_ care for Yoshizawa-san, but I still won't allow you to use violence."

"But they-"

Haru holds her hand up and glares at the other students. "You should be ashamed of yourselves. Rather than keep the person who brought the spirit of this school happy, you decide to torment her even more. And you call yourselves honorable graduates! Pathetic!"

Every student was shocked at Haru's choice of words.

_Okumura-sama is scary._

_She just downgraded us to pathetic!_

_I dunno if I should fight back or let the tail hide between my legs._

_Yeesh, she might be the next Ushimaru..._

"And that includes you, Amamiya. Don't think for a second that you're forgiven for what you've done." Haru then walked away from the commotion.

The group except Ren gathered in Bikkuri Boy as they wait for Ann and Shiho to arrive.

"Man, last night was such a pain." Ryuji slumped onto the table.

"I can agree. For Ren to become that despicable, he is no better than the people he has supported Akechi in arresting." Yusuke blurted, earning an annoyed glare from the man he just mentioned last.

"How kind of you to mention me." Akechi hissed. "Thanks to Ren's bullshittery, I now have a missing person to report as well as a grave offender to close."

"A grave offender?" Ryuji rose his head up.

"A man was found dead in Inokashira Park after his pants were down. He was about to take a leak on a duckling's grave that someone made."

"Dude, that's sick." Futaba couldn't imagine what kind of crap that guy had. "He has a weird sense of necrophilia."

"It wasn't even necrophilia to begin with. From what I can fathom, he tried to rape someone."

Futaba then searched for the article and found photos. "Bingo."

Akechi facepalmed as Ryuji and Yusuke looked at the crime scene. However, the bench in the background was all too familiar.

"Hey, wait a sec. This is the spot where Kasu- I mean, Sumire would practice back then!" Ryuji announced.

"You mean before or after her sudden personality change?" Yusuke inquired.

"Before, dumbass!"

"Well, whatever happened, Sumire couldn't have done this. She was in too much hell when she ran off." Futaba slouched as she sighed.

The group saw Ren and Kasumi enter, and without hesitation they left the diner.

"Loser." Ryuji muttered as he passed by Ren.

"Scum." Yusuke followed up.

"Bitch." Futaba eyed Kasumi and mocked her without hesitation.

No words came from Akechi, but Kasumi was frightened to see the demonic look in his eyes.

"What's wrong with them? Also, why the hell did you bring to some cheapskate?" Kasumi glared at Ren.

"Just hear me out, alright? Their steaks are fantastic as well as the Totem Pole special of theirs." He tried to give her an impression.

"Oh, I wouldn't mind YOUR totem pole later then." She eyed his crotch, making him sigh in disbelief.

Ann and Shiho then arrived outside of Big Bang Burger, a place where HOPEFULLY Ren wouldn't bring Kasumi.

"What's with you guys?" Ann looked at them quizzically.

"Little Miss Princess and her White Knight are in Bikkuri Boy." Ryuji growled.

Ann exhaled deeply while Shiho held onto Sumire's diary.

"While you guys dropped dead last night, Ann and I obtained this from Morgan. Apparently, Sumire has been keeping tabs on herself before we accidentally made her snap." She said with a downcast expression.

Futaba grabbed it first hand and began reading. It's gonna be a long day...

Meanwhile, Sumire remains locked in the bedroom as she tries to avoid waking up. She couldn't believe last night just happened, and the more she thinks about it, the more she gets depressed. Suddenly, she hears a knock on the door.

_"Sumire-san!"_

Makoto knocked as she was the caretaker of Sumire for the time being. Ann refused to let her keep watch, but she insisted as she said it is part of her parenthood training.

"Sumire-san, please open the door."

_"Why?"_

"Your food's gonna be cold. Please eat something." She begged Sumire to at least open the door and accept her dish without talking.

_"Not hungry."_

"But-"

_"I SAID I'M NOT HUNGRY!"_

Makoto jumped and nearly fell on her butt as Sumire shouted aggressively. She frowned in defeat and sat on the table.

"To think you went through so much..." Makoto cried.

Sumire then heard Makoto crying as her mind went into taunt mode.

_She was trying to be nice, and you pushed her away._

"I won't do it if it's out of pity." She murmured to herself.

_You're right. She probably doesn't care about you anyway._

"Fuck you." Sumire cursed at the voice haunting.

_Language, young lady._

Sumire then forced herself back to sleep as the voice continues taunting her.

Over the next few days, the group except Ren took turns in trying to make her open up. Yusuke tried to show her the final output of the art she helped him months ago, Futaba tried to show her new Neo Featherman merch and even tried to show off that she made curry on her own, Haru tried to offer her desserts, Morgan tried reading her funny jokes and puns from a joke book, Akechi tried to muse her with his past life, Ryuji tried to just talk about random stuff, Shiho tried to bait her by showing off her recent gambling earnings, and Ann tried to lure her out by watching the bloopers she had with her co-stars. Sadly, their efforts were in vain as Sumire continued to stay silent and refuse communication with everyone.

Meanwhile in the night of Ann's turn to cheer Sumire up, Ren and Kasumi finished having sex in the love hotel he and Sumire slept the day before.

"Well, that was fun!" She chirped as she snuggled onto him. "From the planetarium, which I find a bit boring to just ogle at stars for twenty minutes.... to the aquarium, which was sad since the stinking dolphin Sumire loved didn't meet its expectations.... to the Seaside Park, where I dandily gave you head.... and now we're here! Finally got our first official, non-Sumire love-making..."

Ren kissed her forehead. "Y-Yeah...."

Kasumi pouted. "Don't tell me Sumire was better than me at this."

"I can't say, honestly. You're both good."

Kasumi sighed. "Fine. Considering you two did it three times a week, I'll let that slide for now." She then jabbed her finger on his chest. "But next time, I wanna hear you say I'm better."

"Of course." Ren played along.

"Good. We'll just sleep here so we can go straight to wherever you work tomorrow. I bet it's Cafe Noir and that prissy puffhead didn't say a word about you being her employee." She kissed his lips and snuggled onto him more.

Ren slept with her, but felt odd for some reason.

"GAH! It's no use!" Ryuji slammed his fist on the table as he, Ann, and Shiho were invited by Kanji to have monjayaki with him in Tsukiyama.

"What's gotten into you, Ryuji?" Kanji looked at him as he chowed on the beef strips.

"You remember Kasumi Yoshizawa, right?" Ann began talking.

"The brunette chick with the red eyes? Yeah."

"That was her twin, Sumire, posing as Kasumi the entire time."

Kanji shrugged. "I can't blame her, really."

"Ugh, will you hear us out or not?!" Ann was already irritated at how calm Kanji is.

"I am hearing you out, but then again...." He finished his food. "I'd rather hear your thoughts after the big reveal."

"Wait, you knew?" Shiho glared at him.

"It's all over the internet." Kanji then showed them multiple articles regarding the Yoshizawa controversy. Mixed opinions regarding Sumire's actions were scattered as the media is divided into calling Sumire the 'better' Kasumi or calling her a fraud for stealing her identity and her achievements.

"Tch! Assholes don't even know the real story behind her struggle." Ryuji growled.

"Exactly. I know that she did a lot of stuff for her bitchy sister, but deep down she should remind herself that she did that on her own. She wasn't Kasumi Yoshizawa when she stole the show. If I remember correctly, she was called _SUMI_ Yoshizawa when I watched the competition."

The trio realized what Kanji meant. Without warning, the three of them hugged Kanji and nearly tipped the table over.

"WHAT THE HELL!?"

"Thanks, man!" Ryuji gave the biggest grin he could ever show.

"You gave us an idea, Tatsumi-san! You're a genius!" Ann chimed.

"We'll cover the bill for tonight. Consider this as a thank you from us!" Shiho bellowed as she pockets out 40,000 yen. The trio ran off with whatever new idea that had in mind.

Back in the condominium, Sumire stared at the ceiling. Her eyes kept twitching while she breathed erratically as the voices kept taunting her again.

_You're pathetic!_

_Weak!_

_Worthless!_

_A fraud!_

_Liar!_

_Monster!_

_Slut!_

_Dumbshit!_

_Tool!_

_Lunatic!_

_Failure!_

_Disgrace!_

Sumire snapped once again, but this time her words were morbid.

"Anyone like to see me dance?"

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**BONUS ART: (Somewhat) Official Cover for Identity Thief (No text)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She snapped again. This can't be good.
> 
> As for the scene with the supposed rapist, it was based off the scene in The Last of Us where Ellie just chops the living hell outta David with his machete. In this case, she just bashed his head with a rock.
> 
> So the duckling from many chapters ago returned and died. And NO, that is not a foreshadowing. But the cryptic last line.... err, good luck interpreting it.
> 
> Kanji Tatsumi cameo FTW. But will their idea work?
> 
> Can Ryuji, Ann, Shiho, Yusuke, and Morgan work their idea in time before Sumire does something reckless? Stay tuned for the thriller episode, "I'm Nothing But A Burden", where it's the Phantom Thieves (no Metaverse powers, ofcourse) vs. time!
> 
> P.S. I wonder if the art I placed here is okay. I managed to put art in "Behold! The New Me" and "We Are Together" as well (forgive me for the photos coz the flash is the only thing helping in making them visible af). I'll try my best to compile my inconsistent art into a folder in Drive while finishing the other artworks. For those who read my first fic, Worlds Under War, I managed to upload some art also (tho they are long overdue)


	37. I'm Just A Burden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Sumire is in another depressive state as everyone tries to cheer her up while Ren is busy with Kasumi in his hands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Suicide attempt in this chapter! (I mean, there was a reason 'Implied Self-Harm' was gonna be here)
> 
> Also, I made this chapter ahead since tomorrow I gotta go file for insurance and from what I've heard... It's gonna be a pain in the ass. But this is adulting, so what the hell. Next chapter will be Wednesday, so atleast the upload sched ain't broken. (UPDATE: Shit happened, so I postponed it)
> 
> We're 7 chapters away from the finale. Time to bring in the drama some more!
> 
> With that said, let's go!

Ann wakes up in bed after her tired efforts to plan the surprise cheer-up idea she, Ryuji, and Shiho had in mind. She opens the door to find Yusuke passed out in her living room.

"Ugh, this again?" She groaned as she made her way to the kitchen. She suddenly noticed Sumire's bedroom door being wide open and checked inside to find no one inside.

"What the-"

She then rushed to the front door to find it locked as if no one went out.

"How did she-"

Ann swung the door open and looked around.

"Sumire! Sumire-chan, where are you?"

Ann returned to her unit and began to dress up.

"Why did she run off? And on Christmas Eve, of all days?" She grumbled to herself as Yusuke slowly woke up.

"Ann? Where are y-"

"Sumire-chan is missing." She cuts him off and hears him sigh deeply.

"Again?"

"Shower up and get moving, Kitagawa. I'll prepare your clothes. Now!"

Yusuke spent no time to waste as Ann rushed him. She then grabbed her phone and called Shiho.

_"Ann? It's fucking 7 a.m..... can't it-"_

"She's missing!"

 _"Again? I thought she wouldn't leave her room."_ Shiho replied groggily.

"Well, she just did. And God knows how long it was since she left her room." She began panicking.

_"Alright. We'll have a group meeting then."_

"Alright, Shi-"

 _"But Makoto-senpai ain't coming with us. She's currently with her sister to look for the bastard of a father of the unborn child."_ Shiho immediately gave her a heads-up.

"Can't they give it a rest? It's Christmas Eve!"

_"I ain't their keeper."_

"Let's hurry it then. LeBlanc?"

_"Assuming the bitch and her ever-so-loving dipshit of a country boy isn't there."_

"You did forget he lives in the attic of LeBlanc, right?"

 _"You get what I mean. Those two kept going at it ever since the breakdown."_ The snark in Shiho's voice was obvious.

"Oh. See ya in LeBlanc then." Ann said as she ended the call.

Ann texted Futaba ahead as she and Yusuke met up with Haru, Shiho, and Morgan (who is in the mood for LeBlanc after he was invited a few times). Ryuji was busy helping his mom out while Akechi informed them he will catch up after a quick debriefing with some police.

"Yo!" Futaba greeted them as they arrived in Yongen-jaya.

"Futaba-chan, why are you by the station?" Haru asked the orange-haired girl.

"Sojiro's cleaning up the place. Apparently, the real Kasumi began bitching about a customer who accidentally spat the coffee at her." Futaba crossed her arms in disgust.

"Even in LeBlanc, huh?" Ann sighed.

Meanwhile....

"Asshole." Kasumi hissed as Sojiro shook his head.

"He didn't mean to, you know. His friend just said a joke that triggered him and-"

"That doesn't matter! The fact that he spat his coffee at me when I passed by is very disrespectful!" She spoke in an arrogant tone.

"Speak for yourself." Sojiro mumbled away from her hearing.

Kasumi then sat down and looked at Ren. "When you said you work part-time in a cafe, I was expecting Starvicks or Cafe Noir or even The Beanstalk." She sighed and slumped on the booth. "Instead, you brought me to some rundown cafe where there are barely any customers who come here except from grannies and a bunch of tramps."

Sojiro pulled Ren's arm and glared at him. "Between her and the sister who pretended to be her, I prefer the latter."

"Sorry, Soji-"

"Don't even apologize. Now get back to work."

His patience got thinner after Kasumi protested that Ren was not paid at all by him, who was then called a cheap knockoff seconds later. The doorbell chimed as everyone entered.

"I'm glad someone with decency showed up." Sojiro spoke obviously loud as he made sure Kasumi heard what he said.

"The hell does that mean?"

Ren sighed and tried to stop the banter. "Guys, please knock it off."

"You're one to talk, Ren." Futaba said as she adjusted her glasses.

"Can you all not give me the whole outcast treatment?" Ren was beginning to be unhappy by how everyone interacted with him.

"What's wrong, Princess? Can't defend your own knight?" Ann mocked Kasumi.

"I treat him well, unlike you fuckers." She began to raise the heat on everyone. "You call yourselves friends when you just swept him to the side like he was nothing?"

"Because he fucking used your own twin sister like she was nothing!" Shiho growled.

"Tch. Obviously, she is nothing. She's been screwing up a lot since we were kids. And all she wanted was to be someone different from the family. What a shit load dream she had." Kasumi's choice of words did not stop Ann from giving her the most painful slap to the cheek.

"You lowlife, good-for-nothing, self-centered bitch!"

Kasumi slapped Ann back, causing a catfight.

"Girls! Knock it off!" Ren separated Ann from Kasumi. "What the hell is wrong with you all?"

"Are you that dense, kid?!" Sojiro couldn't handle it anymore. "She just called her own sister worthless as if she was never a person to begin with! Weren't you called that before when you came here after your record!?"

"Record?" Kasumi parroted the last word.

"Nearly six years ago, Ren came here with a criminal record from Masayoshi Shido. He spent his entire life here in Tokyo to uncover the conspiracy and all that shit." Futaba then hoped she made Kasumi dumb by showing a smug grin. "Betcha didn't know about that."

Kasumi looked at Ren with a gleeful look. "To think you had a record while uncovering that mystery stuff you told me...."

Sojiro facepalmed while Futaba's jaw dropped.

"Wha- Wha-"

"You think I'm dumb, four-eyes? He told me about it when we were chatting in Huggr."

"Don't you dare talk to my daughter like that!" Sojiro was enraged at Kasumi.

"Tch. Fine. Some service you got." She tugged Ren's arm. "Come on, let's get out of here."

However, Yusuke, Haru, and Morgan blocked their path as Shiho pulled out Sumire's diary.

"No. We don't think so."

"Kindly sit back down to the booth.... _before I break your bones to amputation."_ Haru deviously said.

Kasumi and Ren then sat down together on one side while Ann and Shiho sat on the other. She then tossed the diary to them.

"This is Sumire's diary. While you were busy looking at her like a lab rat, she was looking at herself like a dying puppy." Shiho squinted her eyes with anger.

Kasumi reluctantly grabbed the diary, but before she could begin reading...

.

.

.

… someone's cellphone rang loud.

"Hang on." Yusuke reached for his phone. "Hello?"

_"Yusuke! Thank God, you picked up!"_

"Ryuji?" Everyone turned to him. "You sound like you're in pain. Is something wrong with you?"

_"I ran into Sumire. She had a backpack full of heavy shit. I think she's planning on killing herself."_

Everyone except Kasumi began to be aware of what happened next.

_"I tried to stop her, but she broke my leg again with a swing and kept muttering 'splash time'..."_

Morgan grabbed Yusuke's phone and shouted at Ryuji.

"Where is she going?!"

_"I don't know! She just took off to ride a train! Fuck..."_

_Earlier...._

Ryuji was already running late for the group meeting in LeBlanc.

"Shit! Where the hell did you go this time, Yoshizawa?" He mumbled to himself as he entered Central Street. "Just gonna make a quick stop to Protein Lovers first for better shoes, then- Dow!"

His run was interrupted when he bumped into a familiar redhead.

"Sumire?"

Sumire just stared blankly at him before muttering something.

"Wanna see me dance?"

"What?"

"You know... splash time!"

Ryuji then peeked at her bag, which was filled with dumbbells, wrenches, a wrecking ball, and chains. He then realized what she was gonna do, and she realized what he is gonna do.

"Sumire..."

"Don't come close..."

"You're not feeling alright, Sumire. Just let me help..."

"You're not gonna stop me from my splash time!"

She swung the bag hard, causing Ryuji's patella to dislocate and made him cry out in pain.

"Shit!" Sumire ran off as she is becoming more insane.

"SHIT....." Ryuji winced in pain as someone called out for help. He pulls his phone out and called the first person in his inbox.

"Come on, Yusuke... pick up!"

_"Hello?"_

The group continued to listen to Ryuji as he gave them one more warning.

_"She's beyond helping, and if anyone would try to get close to her.... she'll get close to accomplishing her 'splash time' shit."_

Ann and Shiho glared at Kasumi and Ren as they both stood up.

"Haru, mind if you can keep an eye on them? Make sure they don't leave the cafe." Ann instructed her senpai.

"What? No way! Let me help!" Ren tried to reason out, but Kasumi forced him down.

"It's pointless. She'll fail that suicide attempt. She always does."

Shiho punched Kasumi in the nose, causing it to bleed.

"You fucking knew she was mental!? You knew she was having this kind of depressive state and you just allow her to do that?"

Kasumi then spoke casually while holding her nose and glaring at Shiho.

"She tried hanging herself, but she didn't know how to tie a rope firmly. She tried jumping off the school's second floor window, but she failed since she grabbed the window ledge at the last second. She then went on to cut her wrist only to find out she hated blood. Then she tried to kill me and herself in that car accident. Sadly, she doesn't know how to drive."

"You make it sound like you have no cause in this."

"Of course I don't! What makes you think I'm the source of Sumire's bullshit depression?"

This time, it wasn't Ann or Shiho who decided to damage her face. It was Haru as she gave a slap so hard that Kasumi's cheek bruised.

"OW! What the actual fuck! Can you all not break my face today!?" She glared at Ann, Shiho, and Haru.

"All of us went through depression, Yoshizawa-chan. Do not fucking call it bullshit just because you have not experienced it!" Haru shouted. "Everyone in this cafe, even Ren-kun, has experienced depression. And we are disappointed that you have the audacity to say stuff like that!"

Ren tried to break the two from another altercation. Ann then looked at Ren with fury in her eyes.

"Read the damn diary, Amamiya. Better if Yoshizawa does not read it with you."

She then stormed off, dialing Akechi on her phone.

"When you're done reading, it's your choice whether to stay as is or do something about it." Shiho followed Ann as Haru is left behind to watch the two while Sojiro cleaned with a strict look on his face.

"Go ahead, Ren-kun. _Read it without her peeking."_

After the group figured out where she would possibly be committing her suicide attempt, they met up with Akechi in Shibuya as he parked a van near Station Square.

"You're a little late." Akechi scolded them. "Hurry up or we'll be too late."

Everyone got in the van as Akechi began driving.

"How certain are you that she is heading for Odaiba?" He asked.

"Ryuji told us she kept saying 'splash time', and we're theorizing that-"

"Theorizing? You're basing the possible location of Sumire Yoshizawa, a 19-year-old girl who is about to meet her maker, on a theory from Sakamoto's words?"

Ann nods.

"Ryuji texted me." Futaba chirped. "He'll be using the boat from his day job to try maneuvering it to Odaiba."

"How about the other Yoshizawa?"

"A broken face to mark her for her sins." Yusuke worded as Akechi looked at Ann and Shiho, whose hands are still red.

"I believe you two were responsible?"

Meanwhile, Sumire waltz around the bridge as she began looking at the water.

"Eenie, meenie, miney... mo!"

She then stopped in the middle of the bridge as she makes her way to the ledge. Some people began to call the police or record the event, which led to a news chopper giving coverage to it. Soon after, the group arrived by the bridge as Sumire kept waving at everyone.

"Hi, everyone! Are you all here to see me perform a swan dive?"

Shiho looked at her. "She's gone mad."

"I'll handle this." Ann carefully waddled around the crowd as she called her out.

"Sumire-chan! Please stop this!"

Sumire turned to Ann and smiled creepily.

"Oh, a fan! Do you wanna join me in the dive?"

"Sumire, snap out of it!" Futaba called out as the others caught up thanks to Akechi.

"Yoshizawa-san, this is madness! Stop this at once!"

Sumire's grin turned into a frown.

"Why?"

"This is suicide!" Yusuke yelled.

"This isn't suicide! This is my performance! Like how Kasumi would-"

"Stop, Sumire!" Morgan called her. "You're not Kasumi, okay? And who cares if you were pretending?"

Sumire began to cry.

"Why?! Why can't you just leave me alone to do what I love!? This is all for Kasumi! Why can't you understand?!"

"WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SUMIRE YOSHIZAWA WHO SAVED ME FROM A LIFE OF PROSTITUTION? Kasumi doesn't have the balls for it, but you saved me so much that I am forever in your debt with guilt in my heart!" Shiho teared up.

"OR THE SUMIRE YOSHIZAWA WHO SAVED ME AND DAD FROM UNCLE YOUJI!? If it weren't for your daring actions, we would have been in jail or worse because of his petty gambling addiction and murderous streak!" Futaba convinced her.

Sumire began shaking her head. "Stop! Please stop!"

"YOU'RE THE SUMIRE YOSHIZAWA WHO CONVINCED RYUJI AND MAKOTO TO ACCEPT A RELATIONSHIP OF IMPERFECTION!" Yusuke bellowed.

"OR THE ONE WHO HAD FUN IN DOING WHAT SHE LOVED!" Morgan cried out.

"SUMIRE!"

Sumire's puffy eyes widened at the sound of the voice.

"Ren-senpai?"

Ann, Shiho, Morgan, Futaba, Yusuke, and Akechi turned to see Ren panting.

"Don't jump! Please!"

His pleas were making her cry more.

"Senpai... just let me do this." She sniffed. "I tricked you all into believing I was Kasumi.... I know that no one would care for someone like me. Boring, stupid, pathetic Sumire..."

Ren's chest tightened. "Sumire, listen to me. Even if you weren't the Kasumi I met online, that doesn't mean that whatever we did were not real." He began to hold his tongue for a moment as he looked at his pals. "I'm sorry I failed to notice your pain sooner. I shouldn't have used you for my own selfish reasons."

Sumire stopped crying for a bit. "What are you saying? You knew I was like this the whole time?"

Ren winced before sighing in defeat and admission. Sumire was heartbroken not once, but twice: not only did she betray the man she fell in love with, but she was used by him because of her personal issue.

"I..... I....."

Sumire cried one more time and tossed herself into the bay.

"Sumire!" Ren cried out as he jumped after her.

"Ren!" Akechi tossed him a knife to cut off the rope tying her wrists to the bag.

Ren dove onto the bay and splashed next to Sumire, who just closed her eyes as she began squirming and sinking downward. Ren grabbed her by the underarm and began slashing the rope off her wrists.

_Come on! We're getting deeper!_

Ren began slashing the rope faster as Sumire continues squirming. His vision was beginning to blur as he cuts Sumire's hand by accident, causing the near-unconscious girl to scream underwater. He covered her mouth and gave her air through his mouth as they are close to drowning. Once Ren finally cuts the rope off, he and Sumire drowned.

_N-No.... I'm sorry....._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_…_ _._ Suddenly, he began coughing as he regained consciousness for a slight moment. He saw Kasumi on top of him as she smiled in relief.

"He's awake!"

Ren looked at Sumire, who was drenched and being resuscitated by Akechi.

"Come on, goddamnit!" He can hear Akechi faintly cursing.

"What's wrong?" Ann's voice was hazy as well.

"She's not waking up!"

Ren then looked back at Kasumi, who was already showing a worried face.

"You're joking, right?!"

She ran to Sumire's unconscious body and began doing resuscitation faster.

"Fuck! Sumire, wake up!"

For the first time in Kasumi's life...

"SUMIRE, WAKE THE HELL UP!"

… she has felt the feeling...

"PLEASE!"

… of possibly losing someone who cared for her...

"Sumire....."

… when she didn't return the feeling.

"We gotta get her to a hospital! Come on!"

Ren saw the tears flowing down Kasumi's face as he lost consciousness again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, this was a killer to my chest in writing this chapter.
> 
> If there's one thing ladies hate when guys force a break-up, it's when guys used them as tools to success or progress. And that was the last thing Sumire needed to be: another steppingstone.
> 
> I know what y'all thinking: "Is Sumire dead?"..... No, she isn't. (Like hell I'll kill her off, which is quite contradictory to the Worlds Under War duology..... Sorta.)
> 
> And I also know that y'all are wondering what is in Sumire's diary? Stay tuned for "Reminiscence, My Sorrowful Beloved" as we venture into Sumire's diary before the Odaiba incident.


	38. Reminiscence, My Sorrowful Beloved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Ann and the group rush to prevent Sumire from committing suicide. Things go wrong when Ren admits to using her for his research and causes Sumire to jump, putting both their lives in danger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter!
> 
> So basically 85% of this chapter will all be about Sumire's thoughts in the log. It will be from the start of her diary log until the recent log, which has full of twists.
> 
> Speaking of which, anyone reading my other fic? I have a new fic in mind, and I would rather start it after finishing the other one which has little reception :( I enjoy talking to the readers,, TBH
> 
> With that said, lezzgo!

Just as everyone except Haru left the cafe, Ren complied to Haru's instructions. However, Kasumi made a proposal.

"Ugh, if I'm not allowed to read Sumire's fucking diary, can he at least read it out loud?"

Haru looked at Sojiro, who stared at Ren strictly. She then nods, hoping that it's for the best. Ren then opened the diary to read the logs....

_March 25, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_I finally have a diary! Yay! And on my 12th birthday! I managed to win second place yesterday while Kasumi was first place. I may not have liked the idea of joining gymnastics because I want Mom and Dad to notice my efforts, but here I am! I hope this is enough for me to be closer with Kasumi, though. She hasn't been playing with me lately ever since she began joining competitions. Hopefully, I can have more friends as well soon. I'm beginning to feel lonely...._

_July 21, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_I know it's been a long while. But I'm writing again to share my thoughts. Kasumi already has the entire high school as her circle of friends while I only have one. He's super nice and friendly! I forget his name a lot, but I do like how wacky he is. I wish he didn't know me through gymnastics, though.... Kasumi only got many friends after she won the Olympic medal last month._

_December 25, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_I managed to get a gift this year that isn't clothes or gymnastic ribbons. I managed to get to the Okinawa Dolphin Show! I found this cute dolphin plushie and bought it, then Mom and Dad showed me and Kasumi a dolphin named Bubbles. She was super cute, and it made me happy that I got to pet her. But when Mom and Dad got mad at me, I felt sad. Hopefully, I can pet Bubbles again on my own someday._

_February 14, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_I am about to turn 16 years old next month, and I am sad that I don't have a boyfriend yet. A lot of guys keep asking Kasumi to go out with them, and she doesn't bother introducing me to one of them to give me or whoever she rejects a chance. About my only friend.... he's a real asshole! He peeked on me while I was dressing up in the school's shower room! I thought he was my friend for who I am, but it seems he's only after my body. I'm not saying I'm attractive, but.... I wish I'm more than just something to ogle at._

_April 17, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_I can't believe I just saw porn by accident. It felt gross at first, but the more videos I watched... the more I got curious. I dunno if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but unless Kasumi hasn't found this yet, then that means I managed to be first at something for once._

_P.S. Never mind. Kasumi saw it via her boyfriend._

_P.S.S. Why is Kasumi crying in her room? Doesn't she find it weird to cry in front of her boyfriend?_

_P.S.S.S. She is having sex. What the hell!?_

"Hey! She told me she was outside the house that time!" Kasumi protested.

"Must have been a way for her to say 'Leave me alone'." Ren deduced.

Haru, on the other hand, was already blushing. "P-Please continue..."

_September 28, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_I no longer have friends anymore. Everyone keeps bullying me because I keep clinging onto Kasumi. She also became a bully to me by calling me names. I don't know if she was influenced or being honest, but it hurts. It hurts so much I have been crying for the last four days. Mom and Dad forced me back to school despite my pleas, and the more I hear them mock me or the more vandalism I see is about me... I can't take it anymore..._

_September 30, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_I failed my first suicide attempt. Classic Sumire... forgetting how to tie a tight knot. Kasumi probably shrugged it off after she saw me fall. I cried a lot last night..._

_January 13, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_Mom and Dad announced that Kasumi and I will be participating in three competitions this year, which means we won't be in college like everyone else. I still get bullied by Kasumi and her friends, and oftentimes I wish I never went to school with her. She's been cruel to me like how Mom and Dad never cared about what I want. Aside from that, Kasumi got declared 'Hero of Mizakono High' after she grabbed me from jumping off the window. Damn that bitch..._

"She has that diary all these years, and she barely wrote anything on it." Kasumi groaned

"I'm reading." Ren chided her as he continued.

_March 2, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_I opted to stay home instead of attending the high school prom. Nobody wants to go out with the ever-so "Mega Klutz Sumire" or "Sumire the Lesser" or whatever the fuck they call me. I am way okay being alone...._

"I'm guessing this is the day she cut herself?" Ren asked as he saw a splotch of blood staining the page and covering some words.

"Yep." Kasumi nods as Ren continued.

_April 1, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_It has been 2 years since I wrote. And honestly, I was close to finally dying and ridding myself from Kasumi and this cursed world, but NO! She just had to fucking ruin it by focusing on her ego instead of her sister's well-being! I've had enough! Kasumi this, Kasumi that! Be like this, don't be like that! God, it's so damn annoying when everyone compares me to Kasumi! Why can't I be my own person for once!?_

_April 3, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_After considering what everyone said about me while I overheard them, I decided to live my remaining life as Kasumi. I have no idea if she survived the crash or not, but I have to do all this for her sake. I don't care about myself anymore; if everyone wants to be with Kasumi, then fine! I'll BE Kasumi just so she can inflate her ego more and gain more fame like she always does._

_April 11, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_I managed to find a place to stay. I'm currently in Nakano with Ann Takamaki, who is a young actress playing as Feather Pink in the remake series of Phoenix Ranger Neo Featherman. (I gotta keep up with the episodes then, but seriously I did not recognize Ann-senpai.) She can be sexually weird sometimes, though._

_April 13, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_My own thoughts ran around my head. I nearly forgot that I should be doing this for Kasumi, but this is something I dreamed of doing! I want to be a cook who can make people happy with the food I make, not a gymnast who only focuses on athletics and not think about what will happen in life after retirement. On the bright side, I met Ren Amamiya, who was Kasumi's little sext mate or something. She never wanted a permanent and serious relationship, anyway. Considering she had been with three guys in just three years..... He seems nice and charming and maybe a bit sexy and.. what, wait! I didn't mean to write that, but I don't want this diary to be dirty! Ugh, stupid, perverted Sumire!_

_April 22, 20XX_

_First week of classes is done. I realized that Shiho-senpai is in the same school as me, but not Ann-senpai. Ren-senpai and Dr. Maruki seem close, but then again... Ren-senpai is in the psychology field, after all. I wonder what he's researching about... but whatever it is, I'll support him all the way!_

_May 10, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_I finally aced my first exam! Though it was more on cooking and stuff, my idea managed to capture everyone's hearts! I feel so happy! Shiho-senpai, Ren-senpai, and my other senpai's enjoyed it too! I even managed to doodle what I made here! I tried my pizza dish in LeBlanc, and everyone liked it. I don't know about suggesting it to Sakura-san, though. He might fire me for ruining the signature coffee-curry combo._

_May 17, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_I've been having nightmares about Kasumi. How she mistreated me, how she bullied me, how she used me. I feel scared, and I feel more scared if people found out I'm not Kasumi at all.... I just don't want to be alone again. Please let me have friends. :(_

_May 29, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_I know, I know... I'm writing a lot now since I have new friends and all, but it has been a tiring month! Working in LeBlanc with Ren-senpai and Futaba-senpai (which she refuses to be called that), helping Shiho-senpai move away from selling her body to perverted men (which I feel sexually attracted by her by accident), going on wonderful dates with Senpai, reuniting with Bubbles and finally getting the chance to pet her without Mom or Dad yelling at me, and meeting new friends and practicing my gymnastic routines. I just wish I wasn't posing as Kasumi just to gain stuff like this. Knowing Kasumi, she'd fuck up the cooking exam or ignore Shiho-senpai and allow her to be a prostitute or even attend classes like an actual student. Oh well, this is all for her after all..._

Suddenly, Kasumi pushed Ren's arm to the table. Haru did not protest as she listened more while Sojiro turned the TV off.

_June 3, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_I gained a bruised on my face after I tried fighting off some creep in an alleyway I was hiding in. Ren-senpai and Ryuji-senpai found me with Makoto-san and her sister, who were actual police officers. I do appreciate that they're helping me and cheering me up, but can Ren not be some sort of playboy? Bad enough I have Kasumi who doesn't take life seriously and all, so why do I have to play fucking babysitter to her supposed boyfriend?! But even so, he apologized to me heartily. Oh, the butterflies in my stomach wished they could fly...._

_June 11, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_I'm having nightmares again. Kasumi was already kicking me on the ground for copying her in gymnastics, and her friends began peeing on me like I'm a litterbox. I hate these thoughts, but they won't go away! They'll never go away... I'm feeling alone again. And no one is around to help me...._

_June 19, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_I just stared at Senpai's naked body. What the fuck! Oh, my gosh! I mean, he's big down there! I need a ruler to check how big, because I am already worried about my own vagina getting ripped to pieces. ANYWAYS, I managed to hang out with Shiho-senpai and Ann-senpai. And I fixed their relationship as best friends! But only after I knew that Senpai slept with Shiho-senpai as well. What did I do to deserve this lifestyle?_

Haru ran into the cafe's bathroom to clean her face from the sweat she has gained from hearing Sumire's words. Sojiro, on the other hand, just chuckled to himself as he knows how much of a blabbermouth Sumire has been lately.

"She really had those thoughts." Kasumi stared blankly at the diary.

"Well, uh, now I feel embarrassed." Ren sheepishly answered.

"I can see why the ladies love you in bed." Kasumi attempted to tease him, but he shook it off.

"Let's just continue."

_July 1, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_I can't help it! I'm falling in love with Ren-senpai, but I am also in love with Shiho-senpai after training with her and all. God, why am I having an identity crisis right now? I am supposed to be Kasumi Yoshizawa, who is Ren Amamiya's one and only lover! So why... why am I falling for Shiho-senpai as well? Hngh... someone help me! I don't want to ruin Kasumi's life by becoming bisexual or something!_

_July 6, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_I am this close to grabbing Ann-senpai's sex toys. I REALLY am... this sexual identity crisis is consuming me, but I still feel scared. Maybe I'll study to avoid those thoughts. As for studies, I guess I aced the exams well since I managed to nab 1.43 in my grade for this semester. For it to be released early on my account is quite alright for me, but I bet Kasumi would brag about her grades and stuff._

_July 16, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_I forgot to write this, but I helped Dr. Maruki after I found out that he has a relationship issue with his ex-fiance. Now I dunno how to make the perfect set-up, but I'm hoping LeBlanc should be the place so I have Sakura-san, Okumura-sama, and Ren-senpai help me in case things go wrong! Wish me luck!_

_P.S. It worked!_

_July 25, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_I wonder what new dates with Senpai I can be in. We already went to Ueno, Ikebukuro, Odaiba, Ginza, Shinagawa, and Asakusa. Speaking of Asakusa, I should probably help Yusuke-senpai with his art stuff. He got picked on by a couple for his accident, and Ryuji-senpai treated him for stuff after he was the bouncer near Paradise Suspicious, which happens to be a gay night club._

_July 29, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_So I asked Dr. Maruki for some help regarding Ann-senpai, Yusuke-senpai, and Futaba-senpai. First, Ann-senpai needs to connect with everyone again. Second, Yusuke-senpai needs to become a people person without forcing himself to be someone he is not. And lastly, Futaba-senpai needs to be saved by me from her cruel uncle. He gave me different answers, but I hope I can manage them all without failing. It'd be embarrassing to see Kasumi Yoshizawa fail as a friend, right?_

Kasumi began to frown as she noticed the pattern now.

"She's doing all this for me?"

"... Yeah." Ren replied, a pang of guilt already hitting him.

_August 5, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_I saved Futaba-senpai and Sakura-san! Yay Sumire! I mean Kasumi! I mean, ugh, who am I kidding? Of course, they'll acknowledge Kasumi for this one. Even some guy named Goro Akechi came by... and he looked awfully familiar. It's like I've seen his face before, but I can't tell where or when. Anyhow, I hope Yusuke-senpai has an inspiration for his art about familial love. That guy needs to learn more about life._

_August 9, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_The nightmares are back. And Kasumi's voice is beginning to grow louder in my head. She keeps mocking me again and again, and Mom and Dad just watched me. Do they not care about me anymore? Why can't anyone care about me?_

_August 11, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_So I know who was responsible for Ann-senpai's scandal, and the messenger boy was funny with his 'Lady Ann' addressing. Anyway, I had to make sure Yusuke-senpai knows how to find a muse._

_August 12, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_Ann-senpai and I went to the Jazz Jin, where Muhen-san informed Ann-senpai about my old trip here when I had a photo op with my idol Risette! Ah, the memories.... I bet Kasumi will be jealous... if only she didn't call me Kasumi. Anyways, we met up with Okumura-sama and had a short talk while I spaced out by accident again. Classic Sumire, at it again._

_August 15, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_Ren-senpai cuddled with me on the boat. I felt so flustered that I couldn't contain the butterflies anymore. I have no other words but this: I LOVE REN AMAMIYA! (Sorry, Shiho-senpai!) I'm still sad I had to keep pretending as Kasumi... this is so depressing, but it's my sacrifice for my sister's wishes._

_August 18, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_I can't believe I did something very embarrassing today. What should have been a friendly get-together became a nightmare! I had to tell Ann-senpai my underwear today after I lost Tycoon the first round, had to tell them that I was misunderstood as making love to a cake on the second round, and instead of me losing the third round... it was Ren-Ren! (This nickname is based on my own originality!) So Futaba-senpai showed us a video from not too long ago, and I laughed so hard! It was the first time in my life I have laughed like that! Until we ended up dancing to it in the middle of fucking Shibuya! I was so red, I really hoped it wouldn't be on the internet._

_August 22, 20XX_

_Dear Diary,_

_I have been having nightmares for three straight days now, and the voices are becoming more hostile and murderous. They're encouraging me to die already, but I still have to finish Kasumi's wishes so she can wake up with more honor in her. I've already given up my life as Sumire, so what more am I supposed to do? I have been crying a lot, and Ann-senpai is already worried. I can't worry her too much. I still have to enroll myself tomorrow, even though I completely forgot about the Summer Competition that was held in Kyoto. I hope tomorrow will be easy on me. I hope Ren-senpai can help me tomorrow when I try to talk to him. Maybe I'll confess my feelings to him as well... I hope he feels the same, even after I tell him the truth tomorrow._

_August 23, 20XX_

_REN-SENPAI_

_HELP ME_

_TAKE MY PAIN AWAY_

_I BEG OF YOU_

_PLEASE...._

Ren and Kasumi looked at the remaining pages, which were blank already. Haru then wiped a tear off her eye after hearing the last few logs.

"What have I done...." Kasumi muttered. "All this time, I have been bossing her around so she can toughen up. But to think that I caused her depressive state this whole time...."

Sojiro gave out a tired sigh. "Now you know what you have done, kid? You manipulated a brokenhearted girl who was already seeking approval for who she is. The name may have been borrowed, sure.... but her actions are already definitive for the real her."

Ren hung his head and slammed it to the table along with his fist.

"DAMNIT! How could I be so stupid!?"

Kasumi rubbed his back as she tries to hold the tears.

"Y-Y-You're not alone, Ren...."

Ren wept for a moment, still taken aback by Sumire's notes.

"I knew she was pretending to be you, but I didn't think she was asking for this much help or feeling this alone the entire time... even after the dates we've been in, I felt conflicted!"

Haru and Kasumi jumped back.

"I'm such an idiot... falling for you because of your achievements and looks...." Ren muttered more. "When the person I've been rooting for and manipulating at the same time never had any second thoughts of living her life as YOU or doubting about me... especially when she was ready to tell the truth to us."

Sojiro turned the TV on as Ren kept sobbing. His eyes and Haru's eyes lit up as they saw Sumire on the edge of the Sunset Bridge.

"Kid."

"Ren."

Ren lifted his head from Haru and Sojiro's call.

"You may have a chance for asking her forgiveness." He pointed to the TV. Kasumi was mortified when she saw Sumire holding a bag of heavy metal.

_NO! She's gonna succeed on this one this time!_

Kasumi pecked Ren in the cheek. "Ren, I love you and all, but you go help Sumire first!"

"But-"

"No buts, mister! Save my sister first! I'll, uh, call my parents first!"

Ren gave a weak smile as he looked at Sojiro, who sighed in defeat.

"I guess I'm closing up shop, huh? Eh, it's for her sake anyway." He blurted as everyone ran out of the cafe.

_90 minutes later...._

"Hurry! We need to remove the water from her body!" A doctor rushed his nurses as Sumire is brought to the ICU in the nearby hospital. Kasumi and her parents went to follow Sumire while Ann, Shiho, Ryuji, Akechi, Yusuke, Haru, Sojiro, and Futaba followed Ren's unconscious body to a recovery room.

"Damnit! Hold up!" Ryuji called out as he refused help regarding his knee.

"Ryuji, just stay put! You can't run!" Ann ordered him. Ryuji was forced to comply as Yusuke and Haru assisted him.

"I'm sorry, everyone. But you must wait until the patient fully recovers." The doctor ordered Ann and the others as they see Ren being laid and attended to by nurses.

Shiho bit her lip as her clothes continued to drip. "I hope they're fine.... I didn't dive 40 feet underwater and nearly died to let them die."

"You did all you could, Suzui-san. And with you swimming well to save them, at least Sumire-san managed to train you well."

"Y-Yeah..."

The group then made their way to the ICU, where they witness Shinichi and Hanaki feeling very worried about their redheaded daughter. They did notice, however, that Kasumi has been extremely anxious since fishing out Sumire's body from the bay.

"Is it me or did something happen to convince Kasumi to switch personalities?" Futaba asked.

"She and Ren managed to read the entire diary. Not a single content skipped despite how little her writing was in the beginning pages..." Sojiro explained.

Ann then looked at Sojiro and asked for the diary.

"Why do you need it, though?"

"I think it's best if her parents know as well. And Dr. Maruki, too."

Kasumi began twiddling her thumbs and breathed frantically as they wait for the doctor to confirm her status.

"Imsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorry....." She kept mumbling to herself as Hanaki tried to comfort her.

"Honey, it's not your fault. Sumire is just-"

"NO!" Kasumi protested. "This is my fault to begin with! Our fault, to be exact!"

"What are you talking about?" Shinichi looked at his daughter, still distraught that his daughter are hospitalized in both ends of the year.

"I managed to read Sumire's diary...." She began crying. "We did this.... We-We-We caused her to become this...."

Hanaki was then approached by Ann, who gave them the diary.

"Best if you read it and finally understand your own daughter for once." She told the elder Yoshizawas with an icy tone.

"T-Thank you...." Shinichi hesitated to thank Ann.

"Oh, don't thank me. Thank yourselves for breaking your daughter entirely." She spat before turning around and greeting them sarcastically.

"Merry Christmas."

Kasumi continued crying as her parents began reading the diary. When Ann returned to the group, she slammed her fist to the wall and began crying along with Shiho, Haru, and Futaba.

What a Christmas this turned out to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sumire was this close to becoming bisexual, but her duty to keep Kasumi's legacy managed to drive her to a relationship with him. And her thoughts in general were her entire character, established not because she had to pretend to be Kasumi and keep her ego, but because she knew deep down that this is a personality only Sumire Yoshizawa would have: caring and encouraging when her own family didn't give her those.
> 
> With the story drawing near to the end, how will things go while Ren and Sumire are stuck in the hospital for days? Find out on "Cold Heart", where this may or may not conclude the relationship between Ren and Sumire......


	39. Cold Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Kasumi and Ren read Sumire's diary and realize that she was in despair due to previous experiences and how she was doing everything to credit Kasumi for good.
> 
> Hours later, both Ren and Sumire are brought to the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 39, people! Five more, and it's finished.
> 
> I still have two more chapters to upload with their art, including the ending. So stay tuned for those! (I will have to pull out all the artworks from the fic and transfer them to a Drive next week, so if anyone knows how to add a link to a profile description, please help me since my attempt to add a link before failed)
> 
> With that said, let's go!

Sumire wakes up a day after Christmas. Looking at her surroundings, she sighed deeply and checked her monitor.

"Stable, huh? Guess I failed suicide again..." She murmured. She tried moving her arm, but finds a brown obstacle blocking it from moving. She took a closer look to see Kasumi laying her head down by the arm rest.

"Kasumi?"

The brunette slowly woke up to find her twin awake and quickly hugged her as she suddenly cried.

"I'm so sorry, Sumire... Imsorryimsorryimsorry...." She began apologizing as she sobbed. Sumire couldn't react; a week ago, she humiliated her in front of everyone and caused a controversy which not only tarnished Kasumi's reputation but hers as well. Kasumi noticed her silence and looked up.

"Sumire?"

"What do you want?" Her tone was bitter and cold. "It's rare for you to actually give a shit about me."

Kasumi looked down on the floor in shame as she wiped the tears off.

"I'm sorry I have been treating you harshly. I may have overdone my tough love methodology and-"

"You call that tough love!?" Sumire snapped. "You bullied me everyday whenever I go to you and your friends, you make shameless comments about me just to entertain them, forced Mom and Dad to pressure me into joining you in almost everything, and now you humiliated me in public when I did everything for your fucking sake!"

Kasumi wanted to rebutt her statement, but held her tongue as she continued.

"You've been eating my life away since you've joined gymnastics. Mom and Dad don't care about my dreams while they benefit from yours, they show less love to me whenever I'm not imitating you in whatever you do, and...." Sumire just sighed in disbelief as she decided to let her temper cool down. "You have the fucking nerve to suddenly be happy to see me in this hospital bed?"

"Look, I know what I did was wrong. But what you did was wrong too!" Kasumi heated. "You stole my identity, my life, my dream, and pretty much what I wanted to do this year!"

"ALL FOR YOUR SAKE." Sumire repeated. "Nobody would care if Sumire Yoshizawa would be dead or missing! They would rather have the youngest Olympic medalist Kasumi Yoshizawa running their life like you dictate their movement."

"But-"

"Admit it! You boss me around, force me to listen to you because of that elder sister bullshit, you make me your punching bag, and you would not hesitate to abandon me if I do one huge fuck-up!"

"Are you guilt-tripping me again!?"

"DOES IT LOOK LIKE I'M GUILT-TRIPPING YOU!?" Sumire rose up from her bed and pushed Kasumi, only to wince at the pain of her bruised wrists. Kasumi backed away from a bit to do Sumire a favor.

"You ruined the life I was already hoping for! You already have everything in your name.... what the hell do I get under mine?" The redhead began to weep. "I never get anything in life because of you!"

Kasumi held her tongue again. This time, she admits her fault with silence. Suddenly, Hiraguchi enters the hospital room awkwardly as she looked at Kasumi and Sumire.

"Girls...."

"Hey, Coach." Kasumi greeted awkwardly while Sumire looked away.

"Sumire, look at me." Hiraguchi demanded, but Kasumi held her back.

"It's no use, Coach. She's.... not really happy with everything. Please don't make it worse."

Hiraguchi then loosened her posture and sighed as she tried to talk calmly without any form of strict measures.

"Sumire, I know you don't want to talk me because you know I'm about to reprimand you for a lot of things. But... I just want to let you know that the jury will still allow you to keep your medal as well as the entire mumbo-jumbo that you pulled off. They have decided to refuse any questions regarding you being Kasumi."

Sumire ignored Hiraguchi's words as the older woman looked at Kasumi.

"I told you."

"Not yet, Kasumi." She tried again. "When we first began training, I was stunned by how you managed to imitate Kasumi's moves. I was even more stunned when you used your own gra-"

"Can you just leave me alone? Please? If you want me to talk, please don't beat around the bush or sugarcoat things." Sumire coldly spoke, forcing Hiraguchi to give up and leave the room. Kasumi looked at her twin once more.

"You're being a real bitch, you know that?" She scowled.

"Gee, no wonder people mistook me for you. We're soooooo alike in nearly everything except relationships with other people. Right?" She sarcastically said.

"Hey, keep in mind that I'm still the older twin, so show me some respect too!"

"Twins... right....." Sumire dryly responded, irritating Kasumi as she left. Sumire looked at the door after it slammed and muttered to herself sadly.

"Why do you all care anyway?"

Kasumi finds Hiraguchi alone in the hospital cafeteria as she saw her drink scotch.

"Want some?" She asked the young girl, who shook her head in refusal. "More for me."

Kasumi sat across Hiraguchi. "What were you about to say to Sumire, Coach?"

Hiraguchi looked downcast. "Honestly, I was amazed at how she improved herself despite pretending to be you. She had the confidence, the grace, the dedication... but I guess that doesn't matter now."

"Why do you say that?"

Hiraguchi took a swig at the bottle. "She's gonna get even more bullied when she returns to school. And with this kamikaze stunt she pulled two days ago, she's gonna be notorious for a lot of things."

Kasumi clasped her hands on her knees and began to think of something when her parents arrived.

"Kasumi?" Hanaki asked. "I thought you were with-"

"She kicked me out. She won't let anyone go in to talk." She half-assed her answer, with Hiraguchi giving a thumbs-up.

"Chisako! What happened?" Shinichi inquired the trainer.

"Well, she didn't want to listen to me when I have very good news for her."

Shinichi and Hanaki stayed quiet, still guilty for the things the family has done to Sumire.

"We still have to ground her, though." Shinichi said as his wife nods.

"But not while she is still in the middle of schooling." Hiraguchi glared at the couple. "At least let her have the third semester to finish. Even with my doubts of her being helped by her peers, at least let her finish the school year."

Shinichi sighed as he held his wife's hand. "Maybe it's for the best."

Kasumi then noticed the gift they were holding. "Is that for Sumire?"

Shinichi sighed. "Yes, sadly. But you just told us she won't open the door to anyone."

"Not just anyone." A voice from the doorway caught their attention. They then see a girl with black hair, a navy blue jacket covering a black and white tank blouse, black jeans, and boots holding a bouquet of violets.

"Suzui-san." Hiraguchi mouthed.

"I'll be the one to do it." She then blushed and hid her face with the flowers. "I wanna confess to her about something."

Kasumi nods and volunteers to take her to her room.

"Why the sudden confession, Suzui-san?"

"Why not? After all she's done for me... and reading that diary about her considering me as a love interest.... Ugh, this is gonna embarrassing for me."

Kasumi and Shiho have a short talk regarding Shiho's sudden love confession. And the ravenette damn well knows she will be shot down.

"You do know she'll turn you down. She doesn't swing that way."

"Maybe when she was pretending to be you. It's worth the shot... maybe she'll be comfortable talking to me."

Without knocking, Kasumi opens the door for Shiho and Sumire to see each other.

"Hey." Sumire greeted meekly.

"H-Hey..." Shiho returned the greeting as she slowly approached her. "I got flowers for you."

Sumire was then confused. "Wha- But why?"

Shiho then kept her distance for safety purposes. "I, uh, read your diary...."

"Oh." Sumire frowned, now realizing everyone knows her secrets.

"And, uh, I just want to say that I, uh, decided to make this decision to, um.... confess to you."

Sumire stayed silent as Shiho continued with a gulp.

"I still feel guilty for letting you help me without me returning the favor. And sadly, I caused your breakdown when you snapped to become Kasumi. My heart broke when you suddenly had the personality change, but at the same time it made it jump with surprise."

Sumire blushed despite her silence.

"When you planned the surprise birthday party of mine in LeBlanc, that's where my feelings began. After I read your diary, it made me fall for you more despite current circumstances."

Sumire raised an eyebrow. "But why?"

"Look, I know this is a bad time to tell you I love you, okay? I just wish I accepted my feelings sooner and helped you before you went batshit insane twice." Shiho hissed while blushing as red as a tomato.

"I.... uh.... I'm glad you feel that way, Shiho-senpai." She spoke but she felt sad. "But I'm sorry to say I lost my feelings for you after Senp- no, Ren... made me his 'girlfriend'."

Shiho felt heartbroken, but shook her head. "No, it's okay. I just wanted to take something off my chest."

Sumire then watched Shiho remove her jacket. "Uh, Shiho-senpai?"

"It's fine. You can keep it." She lays the jacket down onto her feet along with her gift and the Yoshizawa family's gift. "Your parents want me to give this to you. We managed to make them read your diary too and understand you more."

"As if anyone will." Sumire grumbled.

Shiho sat next to her and held her hand.

"Listen, I know times are tough right now. But remember that Ann and I are your best friends, regardless if you're the real you or the twin you wanted to impress in forever."

"You know that means I have to talk to Ann-senpai about everything."

"Trust me: you're now one of the 'fucked up people who are friends with Ren' club." Shiho jested.

Sumire smiled a little, earning Shiho a heartbeat skip.

"There we go! The smiling Sumi!"

Sumire then leaned forward and kissed Shiho in the lips for a good ten seconds.

"Think of it as my gift to you so that you won't be heartbroken, Shiho-senpai." She blushed.

"Well... uh... ah, shit. I feel giddy."

Both of them laughed until Sumire returned to her sad state.

"How is.... he?"

Shiho knew what she meant and sighed. "He risked his life to save you. We made him read your diary, but it's up to you whether you forgive him or not."

"I think you know the answer to that." Sumire glanced at the young woman, who then rose up.

"Well, at least hear what he has to say first. Gonna go visit Ryuji after you dislocated his right patella."

Sumire winced and asked Shiho to apologize to him in her stead. Shiho nods her head and hugs her before leaving the room. Sumire then furrowed her brows.

"Why did that felt like Shiho-senpai was the second girl I kissed? Who did I kiss first?"

Elsewhere, Shiho visits Ryuji and Ren in their room as Futaba flashed a shit-eating grin.

"Man, you two got really steamy, huh?" She teased Shiho, who turned red.

"H-Hey! Sakura-san, she's hacking hospital surveillance!" She called Sojiro.

"Futaba."

"Fine. I'll delete it." Futaba groaned as she kept her phone. "So how did things go with Sumire? She and Kasumi kinda had a fight earlier while she forced Hiraguchi to get lost."

Shiho winced. "I knew it." She then looked at Ren, who has been staring at the news regarding Sumire.

"They're all wrong...." He clenched his fist as a news reporter called Sumire a mentally insane individual.

Sojiro turned the TV off and looked at Ren. "Look, I know you have a lot of things to talk to her. First off, your admission to being an asshole to her."

"I know." Ren sighed. "I guess I'm really at the wrong here."

"Gee, you think so?!" Futaba howled.

Shiho looked at Ryuji. "How's the knee?"

"Another 4 months of recovery and rehab. Shit." He cursed. "I'm hoping Kanji would do me a solid and lay me off for a while."

"Sumire told me to tell you that she is very sorry about that."

"It's fine. I understand how she felt and why she did it... if only a certain son of a bitch didn't-"

"I get it! It's my fault! 100% of it! Enough already..." Ren lashed out.

Sumire then opened Shiho's gift first, which was a wonderful white sweater paired with a red skirt.

"At least I have something to match my boots at home." She muttered with a slight chuckle. She then reached out for her parents' gift.

"I wonder what they got me." She spoke somberly as she saw their gift. Her eyes widened as she shook her head in surprise.

"You're joking me...." She then held up new glasses for her. "Another pair of glasses? What am I, blind?"

She wore the glasses and was astonished by how crisp the vision grade happened to be. A knock on the door was heard as she allowed entry, only for her regret it as Ren entered.

"Sumi."

"Don't call me that."

Ren then averted his gaze for a second. "H-How are you feeling?"

"Cold. Broken. Betrayed."

Ren can't help but accept those answers. "Look, Sumire.... Let me explain."

"Oh, sure. I'll let you explain. Or better yet, let me do it in less than 25 words." Her temper rose again. "Instead of helping me and making me feel comfortable with things for good, you used me to further advance your fucking research."

"Look, I know what I did was wrong. But please hear me out."

Sumire turned around and stared daggers at Ren. "Speak before I change my mind."

Ren huffed and began to talk. "I know what I did was very, very, very disrespectful and sick. I didn't consider your mental health before actually making you my-"

"Guinea pig? Lab rat? Human test subject?"

"No!" Ren responded to a very resentful Sumire. "Hey, you manipulated me too! Pretending to be your sister and all..."

"Did you actually think I wanted to be Kasumi? I'm guessing Shiho-senpai didn't let you read it."

"I did."

"And yet you talk like I'm at fault here."

"Aren't you? You brought this on yourself, you know..."

Sumire was now furious. "Aren't you guilty as well? Using Ann-senpai and Haru-senpai to further progress your case against Shido for an overturn of your record? And now you used me to make sure your research is sound and valid?"

"How the hell do you know all those things?"

"Akechi-san told me when he was trying to cheer me up... unlike you, who didn't bother to cheer me up."

"I'm not getting a lecture from you, Sumire! I'm trying to apologize and you won't let me!"

"Because what you did is unforgivable! Had I known that I was just a scapegoat to your selfish needs, I would have killed myself on that fateful day instead of going home to Ann-senpai's condo."

Ren sees the tears swelling on the corners of Sumire's eyes. _She's trying not to cry..._

"Now I understand why you had a failed relationship with Ann-senpai, settled for a fling with Makoto-san, and faked your relationship with Haru-sama.... You're nothing but a cheap playboy trash living in an attic who only dates girls so he can get what he wants!"

"Bullshit!" Ren kicked the chair in front of her, causing her to flinch. "You think I'm doing all of this just so I can get back at the fuckers who got me labeled for good? To be known by all and feared by many? Then you're damn wrong."

"You certainly did that already! I've done my research too, Ren Amamiya! And you have a lot more shit you've been keeping from me or the others."

Ren felt a nerve being struck and growled. "Don't you fucking cross that line, you redheaded bitch..."

Ren clenched his fist, but before he could act Sumire slapped him in the face very hard.

"You bastard!" Sumire began crying.

Ren noticed his hand and released the fist. "Sumi-"

"I told you not to call me that! Only someone who cares for me will."

"B-But I do care! It's just-"

"Just what? You only fell for me after you finished everything?"

Ren looked away from Sumire as she cried even more. "Look, I-"

"You were the one I finally fell in love with.... a person who I have treasured dearest to me.... a person I have made love with and-" She suddenly stopped as she turned very red. "Oh no..."

"What?"

"H-H-H-How many t-t-t-times did we f-f-f-f-"

Ren stopped her from finishing the question. "Three times a week before the incident in the Wilton. It was, uh, after you aced the preliminaries."

Sumire wanted to test her tightness, but she is too traumatized and betrayed to do so.

"Sumire, I'm really sorry for breaking your trust. It's just I can't help but keep the whole thing a secret from the panel. They knew I was referring to you, but if they ever found out I actually dated you, my research would have been ripped. I had no choice."

Sumire looked down. "So you still care about yourself after all that's happened?"

"What?"

"I had a feeling you didn't help the others in looking for me.... I thought you love me for who I am, Ren!"

"If only you weren't pretending to be Kasumi..."

"And yet you only care for Kasumi Yoshizawa, not Sumire Yoshizawa." She sighed deeply as she wiped her tears off. "Tell me: was our time together nothing but a farce?"

"Sumi-"

"Answer me! Was everything a joke to you when we started hanging out, dating, fucking, or whatever!?"

Ren bit his lip. He couldn't formulate a strong reply to Sumire's questions.... all because it was almost true.

"Yes. I'm sorry to tell you, but our time together was a farce."

Sumire sobbed even more and suddenly threw a vase at Ren, giving him a scar on the cheek.

"You're such an idiot!"

"Ow!"

Frightened at the realization of what she did, she raised her arms up in defense.

"Please don't hurt me.... you've hurt me already too much..."

Ren felt the scar on his cheek and glanced at Sumire again. "I'm not hurting you." He reached out for Sumire's hands and carefully places them on her lap. Sumire took notice and looked away from him.

"Leave. Please."

"What?"

"Just leave me alone. Forever."

"I can't do that, Sumire."

"By doing so, you're hurting me more. You broke me, Amamiya! You betrayed me, you fooled me more than I have fooled you, you made our life together look like it was nothing, you ignored me, and now... you're asking me to let you stay? I can't take any more pain..."

Ren lets Sumire's hands go.

"It pains my heart to tell you this, but I don't ever want to see your face again." She spoke coldly despite her shaky voice. "This is where we must go our separate ways, Ren Amamiya."

"Sumi..."

"You were the only light shining the way to where I was going. Yet you blacked out when I needed you the most. I don't plan on repairing that light anymore."

Ren then stood back up and walked to the door. As he was about to turn the knob, he looked at Sumire one more time as she covered her sobbing look under the blanket.

"I wish I loved you sooner...." He whispered as he left.

"Well?" Kasumi asked Ren, who began walking down the hall with a sad face.

"Take care of her when she is discharged, okay?" He pats her head as he prepares to discharge himself. Kasumi then looked inside and saw the chair on the floor, the vase broken, and Sumire crying while her gifts were on the floor. She frowned as she muttered to herself.

"This is all my fault..." Kasumi murmured as she noticed Ann stopping in front of Ren.

"Hey! You can't just discharge yourself! You're not even completely well yet!" Ann protested at Ren's insistence to leave the hospital.

"Well, I don't care anymore. I just wanna go home." He angrily replied.

"Kid, what the hell is wrong with you?" Sojiro cautiously asked Ren, who barked back with more anger.

"Would it matter?!"

Sojiro, knowing he came from an argument with Sumire, knew what was going on and decided to drop the subject. "I'll pay for the discharge."

"What!? Sojiro!" Futaba was shocked.

"He needs to rest on his own. I doubt New Years would even cheer him up." He mumbled, forcing Futaba to droop and follow them.

Ann was then left alone as Kasumi walked up to her.

"Ann Takamaki?"

The blonde turned around and scoffed. "What do you want?"

"Where's Ren?"

"Your 'boyfriend' discharged himself to go home. What happened between him and your sister?"

Kasumi then told Ann about how heated their confrontation went to the point where Sumire demanded that Ren will not see her for good.

"Seriously?"

"I know. This is all my fault because I was so selfish and arrogant." She admitted while looking shameful.

"Well, no wonder you and Ren clicked on Huggr. You two are really egotistic, cunning, and shameless." Ann crossed her arms. "Don't think I'm gonna forgive you for finding out about Kamoshida and his incident with Shiho!"

Kasumi then looked at Ann dead in the eyes. "Okay, that was a national scandal! How else would I know if not for the athletics' bulletin?"

Ann huffed and glared at Kasumi as she continued.

"Will you do me a favor and fill out Sumire's diary?"

"Why?" Ann answered with half a cold tone.

"Because my parents are planning to ground her for a few years, and she won't enroll for school until I finish my time in college and-"

"Tch! As I suspected." She turned her heel and started walking.

"No wait! Please listen to me...." Kasumi dropped to her knees. "Please fill her diary up with all the memories you all made with her. It's the only way I can atone to Sumire, and the only way where she can return here."

Ann then got curious and stopped as she parroted the last part. "Return here?"

"Just trust me. Please!" Kasumi began to weep. "I've said all my apologies, and Sumire won't forgive me regardless. Ren said his, and he is unforgiven. I... I don't want my sister to become cold and cruel to everyone..."

Ann then crouched down to hug Kasumi. Kasumi paused her crying to find Ann hugging her.

"If it'll make you feel better, will you help us in filling it up?"

A few minutes before the new year, and Sumire sighed in sadness as she received a message from the nurse that her family won't be joining her due to handling with the media on a time like this.

"As expected." She then looked at the news on the TV as it showed how Kasumi is suddenly treated like a victim to Sumire's 'thievery and manipulation'. She then grabbed the remote and turned it off, then looks out the window as she sang a bit.

" _Lost in an image, in a dream... but there's no one to wake up... and the world keeps spinning and she keeps on winning..._ "

She looked at the phone next to her and looks at the screen saver. A photo of Ren and her, but in the guise of her twin that she still finds herself against.

" _But tell me what happens when it stops? They go... isn't she lovely, this wonderful girl?_ "

She opened the phone and carefully deleted the photos of her with Ren.

" _And they say she's so lucky, she's a star... but she cry, cry, cries in her lonely heart thinking 'if there's nothing missing in my life, then why do these tears come at night?'_ "

She then cried alone in the hospital room as everyone outside began counting down for the new year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ren x Sumi = no more. Sumire chose to ignore him until the end of the semester.
> 
> Also, Shiho is bisexual now. And she confessed to Sumi. And Sumi didn't return the feelings, but Shiho is alright with it. Though I reassure you, the end will still be Ren x Sumi again.
> 
> Sumire is so heartbroken.
> 
> With the school and her giving each other the cold shoulders, how will Sumire survive the third semester in a semi-hostile environment? Get ready for "Hello Darkness" as Sumire attempts to go around school the classic Sumire way...


	40. Hello Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Sumire recovers and begins to show the cold shoulder towards Kasumi and Ren, who both broke her entirely. She severs her relationship with Ren and forces him to ignore her entirely, forcing Kasumi to plot out something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter!
> 
> This will be a lengthy chapter since I plan on covering the entire January here. Also, do tell me if I made grammatical errors since I am typing this with my eyes half-open. (Spent the whole day yesterday trying to draw another artwork for this fic as well as some art for my own personal hobby)
> 
> For now, let's get it on!

Some time after New Years, Sumire was discharged from the hospital and assisted by Kasumi and their parents. However, their relationship is already strained despite Hanaki and Shinichi trying to reach out to her after reading her diary. And as if things were already worse for Sumire, she broke up with Ren after she found out he played her like a fiddle. She is still in the process of trying to accept the people she called her friends, and she is ready (or somewhat ready) to face the bullshit that is called the school's hypocrisy. As for where she is staying...

"I think you should come with us in the meantime until we-"

"No."

"But, Sumire..."

"No, please. I don't want to go with you... not until I forgive you."

Shinichi and Hanaki were having problems in accommodating Sumire to their rented condominium. Kasumi shook her head and was forced to look for Ann, who was around the area with Shiho.

"Oh, hey. Sumire's out..." Shiho mumbled before turning her attention to Kasumi. "And her too."

"I thought I was gonna have a difficult time looking for you, Takamaki-san." Kasumi bowed.

"Let me guess: she needs a place to stay."

Kasumi hums in affirmation, which Ann acknowledged and told her to stand straight.

"We'll bring her back to her room then. In the meantime, go enroll her back in U.E.S. I'm sure they would _love_ to hear from the _real_ Kasumi Yoshizawa." Ann brought a resentful tone in her command. Kasumi winced, but knew what had to be done. She then guides Sumire to Ann and Shiho, who suddenly backs away from the two when they tried to help her.

"Hey, it's okay. At least you're with us, right?"

"Right." Sumire answered blankly as Ann escorts her to a taxi before Shiho looked at the family.

"Just so you know, you better make sure my job as her best friend in school isn't fucking difficult or I will put you in the world of pain." She growled as the taxi drove without her. "Ah, wait! Shit!"

After Shiho rode on her bike and sped off, Kasumi confronts her parents.

"Mom... Dad... I guess we gotta make sure no one bullies her after what happened."

"I guess." Hanaki hesitated.

"If it makes you happy, Kasumi. At the very least, we now know what Sumire feels." Shinichi winced as he hailed a taxi to bring them to U.E.S., where they meet Yu Narukami in the scholarship office....

.

.

.... "So you're the real Kasumi Yoshizawa?"

"Yes. I'm sorry if-"

"No need. I already got the gist of it and decided to let Mitsuru give a university-wide announcement when classes begin."

Narukami was upset. Not because he was also fooled by Sumire's trick, but he was upset that the entire student body badmouthed the girl who managed to make the school proud of her performances in the second semester. Kasumi and her parents felt ashamed for what they did to her, and the next person was more ashamed as he entered the office.

"Ren."

The Yoshizawa family turned around to see Ren, who felt awkward for a moment until Narukami's stern order made him sit down in front of his desk.

"Yu-"

"Don't talk just yet." Narukami then glared at Ren. "Do you realize what you have done?!"

"Look, I said I'm sorry already!" Ren pleaded.

"Sorry doesn't cut it. You took advantage of Sumire Yoshizawa's mental health to your own research and instead of helping her, you allowed it to worsen so you can prove your point!"

Ren couldn't answer back to Narukami, as he is already the nth person to reprimand him for his thesis.

"That explains Takuto's anger towards you when he told me everything." Narukami sighed in exasperation. "I could request Mitsuru to revoke your thesis approval and hold you back for a year in this school as punishment.... But I'm not that cold." He then eyed Kasumi.

"Which is why I'm putting you and Miss Yoshizawa, even if she is not a student here, to rehabilitation duty towards Sumire-san."

Kasumi stopped her parents from protesting. "I'll agree to it, but allow me to beat the living shit out of anyone who dares talk bad about my sister."

Narukami scoffed for a bit. "That's quite a far cry from your attitude not too long ago back in the Wilton."

Kasumi frowned and hung her head. "I.... I know. Which is why your offer is best enough for me to redeem myself."

Narukami nods. "And you, Ren?"

Ren reluctantly speaks about his status with Sumire, to which Kasumi confirms. Narukami then understood and allows Kasumi alone as Sumire's rehab partner. He also allowed the scholarship to continue and informs the other schools about the situation.

"Best if we don't have other schools bullying her wherever she goes."

Meanwhile, back in Ann's condominium, Sumire felt a certain level of unease as Ann lets her sit down on her bed. Ann then noticed that Sumire's expression is the exact opposite of how she felt with her family hours ago.

"Hey. You feeling alright?"

No response. Ann took the hint and walks to the door when suddenly Sumire spoke.

"Why don't you hate me?"

Ann turned around to look at her as she holds her tears.

"I lied to you... fooled you... betrayed you...." She lets a few tears fall down. "I'm not even supposed to be alive at this point...."

Ann then walked back to her and carefully gave her a hug, to which Sumire flinched and accidentally pushed Ann away.

"I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me!" She blocked herself with her arms in a similar manner when she hit Ren with the vase not too long ago. Ann just blinked and hugged her.

"Wha-"

"To be honest, I prefer you. You may not be the Kasumi who is famous everywhere, but to us... you're the Kasumi we managed to accept for how quirky and spunky you can be."

"But I'm Sumire, not Kasumi. I'm not an achiever like her...." She mumbled as Ann held up the medals she won during the second semester. "Are those..."

Ann answered with a huge smile. "You registered your name as Sumi Yoshizawa. You were still aware of this, right?"

Sumire nods her head, but frowns again. "But that's all for-"

"Kasumi?" Ann cuts her off. "Nope, it isn't. You did this on your own, Sumire. You achieved a lot of things on your own accord. With or without our help."

Sumire gasped for a second before she cried entirely while grabbing onto Ann.

"Ann-senpai! I'm so sorry........ R-R-Ren-senpai used me as well....."

"Sssshhh, it's okay, Sumire. I _know_."

Shiho finally arrives, again with flowers for Sumire, as she witnesses the drama in the bedroom.

"Did I miss something?" She asked, but Sumire stopped crying and blushed.

"A-A-Are those f-f-for me, Sh-Sh-Shiho-senpai?"

Shiho, now red-faced herself, tried to defend herself but just stammered her words in the end.

"Keep this up and you're no better than Mona, Shiho." Ann teased.

"Sh-Shut up, Ann!"

The third semester begins, and all students were gathered around to the gymnasium by Mitsuru. She then creates announcements and rules regarding what happened lately, and strictly demands all students to refrain from gossiping or bullying Sumire or anyone who is mentally troubled and ill (at the cost of Maruki's office being crowded now). Since the rule was only limited to refrain from gossip or bullying, everyone from Sumire's block section began to ignore her entirely. However, they are tempted to talk to her rehab partner, who is Kasumi... much to Sumire's chagrin.

The week began with Haru introducing herself as the Pastries 2 teacher, and she acknowledges everyone in the room, including Kasumi. She then asked the class to group themselves into 4 members (and with a menacing face to make sure some students would team up with Sumire) as she establishes them into permanent groups for the entire semester. While Sumire's groupmates groaned in irritation and attempted to flirt with Kasumi, the redheaded twin stood up and exited the classroom, causing both Haru and Kasumi to sigh in disbelief.

The succeeding subjects in the following days didn't have much luck either. Kawakami couldn't keep her focused in class due to Kasumi's presence and the classmates annoying her, and the rest of the faculty began to question Narukami's decision to let Kasumi go around with Sumire. And speaking of that...

"Can't you just fucking leave me alone!?" Sumire snapped at Kasumi after a long day as she heads for her last class of the week, which happens to be English.

"Look, Sumire. I-"

"You've got what you wanted already! People hate me already... what more do you want?"

"Well, what else do-"

_Hey, Kasumi-chan!_

_Dude, she's with her sister?_

_You mean the redheaded trash? Pfft. Who cares about her?_

_Dude, didn't you remember the new rule?_

_Rules schmules! I'm finally-_

Kasumi slapped the student after she heard them talking shit about Sumire, who stormed off in annoyance.

"Talk shit about my sister one more time, and I will break you." She warned the students who called her out as she ran to look for Sumire. To her misfortune, the last class is unavailable for the day as it could only mean one thing.

"Damnit, she went off on her own." Kasumi sighed in defeat.

School wouldn't be comfortable for Sumire for the next two weeks as she is still stuck with Kasumi being her rehab partner, and she doesn't plan on reconnecting with her. She would either cut classes or stay at home just to avoid being with her, which then caught the attention of Kawakami, Haru, Maruki, and Shiho (who volunteered to help) after her absences and tardiness has gone beyond the limit.

"She's already skipped my class thrice already." Kawakami sighed.

"Mine as well." Haru frowned as she looked at Maruki. "How about you, Doctor Maruki?"

"Heh. Take a guess." He dryly replied as Shiho grunted.

"I guess she's been avoiding everyone in school when everyone avoids her entirely. Motherfucking morons."

"It's all because of me."

The voice made their heads turn to see Kasumi standing by the door.

"Kasumi."

"Suzui-san." She bowed before Shiho threw a paper ball onto her head.

"Stand up. No room for all that formal bullshit."

"Sorry."

Maruki shook his head and threw a chalk at Shiho. "Disregarding Suzui-san's actions, what brings you here?"

Kasumi began to sway her body. "Um, it's about Sumire..."

"WE KNOW." Everyone said in unison.

"Ugh, I would say you should not attend my classes... but it's interim chairman Narukami's orders to make sure she's 'rehabilitated' despite her dodging it entirely." Kawakami groaned.

"I find it annoying as well that most of her groupmates will not cooperate with her and just focus on flirting with you." Haru pointed out.

"And people keep asking me whenever they go to the guidance office as to why Sumire-san is being given special treatment. God, it pains me to hear the very people who adored her when she was you beginning to talk shit about her." Maruki pinched his nose bridge as he said it.

"However, she is quite okay with me or Ann approaching her in her condo." Shiho placed emphasis. "She still hesitates though, but we make sure we trust her after all that's happened."

Kasumi frowned and slumped on the doorway as she began to think morbid thoughts.

"Maybe I should have died in that accident... Then maybe she won't have an issue about all this." She muttered.

"Now, now. We all have our regrets and doubts, but this isn't the time to be thinking about those." Haru broke her train of thought.

"What should we do? The others are considering dropping her off her subjects unless-"

"Unless I don't interfere." Kasumi finished Kawakami's words. "If it's alright with everyone, could you all have a teacher-student counseling session regarding... all of this?"

The faculty began to consult with one another while Shiho approached Kasumi.

"What are you scheming?" Shiho began to suspect for an ulterior motive, to which Kasumi denies.

"I just want my sister to be happy again, okay? Seeing her this cold and broken.... it's not like her at all."

"Gee, where do you think-"

"I get it! It's my fault! My parents' fault! How many times do I have to repeat my fucking ass?" Kasumi barked with annoyance in her tone as Shiho tested her resolve.

"Enough for Sumire to acknowledge your mistakes and accept hers." The ravenette dryly replied as she sees Sumire marching her way to the gate. "Which is why keep your distance and only go near her for important matters like a serious talk or something."

Kasumi followed her eyes and noticed a few students throwing paper balls at Sumire, who seemed unfazed and too apathetic to care. "I guess it is a good idea to be her rehab partner when necessary.... but she refuses to talk to me."

Shiho then looked back at the only faculty members who care about Sumire. "That's why we're having the teacher-student counseling."

A week left before January ends, and Sumire has been excused from her classes just to attend only one counseling session. Shiho accompanies her as they arrive inside Maruki's office where Kawakami, Haru, and Maruki himself are sitting down.

"Yoshizawa-san. Welcome back to my office." Maruki gently spoke as he gestured to the empty chairs across them. "Have a seat."

Sumire backed up a bit as her mood went from upset to uneasy in a flash. Shiho grabbed her shoulders and prevented her from escaping.

"Not this time, Sumire."

"But Shih-"

"You NEED this. You can't keep running away forever." Shiho firmly said as she lets Sumire sit down.

"Good. Now for your sister to come here and-"

Sumire stands up before Kawakami could finish, but Shiho grabs her and forces her back down.

"Sumire."

"What is wrong with you all?"

"We could ask you the same." Haru began. "You've been ignoring discussions, skipping classes to either go to Inokashira Park or the rooftop or to go home, and you disrespectfully exit the class whenever your classmates bully you or interact with Kasumi-chan."

"Don't you all get it? I don't deserve to even be here!" She pleaded. "I manipulated all of you, and....."

A new voice interrupts her from talking.

"That doesn't mean you have to run away from everything after what has happened."

"Kasumi?" Sumire flinched as she turned.

"Sumire." Kasumi's tone was serious but doting.

"Now that everyone is here, shall we continue?" Maruki announced as Shiho pulled out Sumire's diary.

"My diary!" Sumire gasped, already forgetting that it wasn't in her possession.

"Kindly read all logs, then try to talk to her with what you understood." Shiho instructed the three adults as she crossed her legs while gulping. Sumire began to shake, but Kasumi does her best to calm her down.

"Just calm down..."

"I don't want to hear that from you." Sumire suddenly responded coldly to her twin.

"Can you stop being a bitch now?"

Sumire snapped again. "Oh, you're calling me a bitch already?! Speak for yourself, you egotistic whore!"

"Watch that damn mouth of yours, you good-for-nothing shit!"

"Says the one who doesn't know when to go down other people's level when the time needs it!"

"Oh, that's rich! Coming from someone who stole my fucking identity for the last 8 months!"

"You ungrateful, little shit! I did all of that for you, and you still-"

" _ENOUGH._ " Haru's harsh warning forced the sisters to be silent, completely doing Shiho a favor. After a few minutes of reading, Maruki began speaking.

"So Sumire-san, you have been feeling depressed because of how mistreated and shunned you were by your own family and peers. Correct?"

Sumire refused to answer, prompting Maruki to ask her another question.

"Did all of your actions here in Tokyo reflect on keeping your sister's reputation to high value or was it of your own accord?"

Sumire did not respond again, which Maruki then directed a question to Kasumi.

"Kasumi-san, do you deny bullying your own sister despite her struggles?"

Kasumi looked down in shame. "No, I do not deny that."

"And do you blame her for the current state that she is in?"

"Hey, why am I-"

"Just answer the fucking question." Shiho growled, knowing if Kasumi will try to protest....

"Yes, but not entirely."

"Why do you say so?" Kawakami asked.

"It's not my fault I made her into the person she is now.... but it's not her fault she allowed this to happen."

"Okay then." Haru took her turn. "So Sumire-chan is quite dedicated in her studies despite pretending to be you. Although she managed to reach around 70% of her score to pass, she still maintained her studious nature. Do you feel the same or is this trait unique to Sumire-chan's?"

Kasumi glanced at Sumire, who was shaken by Haru's warning and shut her eyes tightly.

"No. That's Sumire's actual trait. To be honest, I never planned to attend college at all."

Everyone, Sumire included, looked at Kasumi after hearing those words.

"What?" Sumire mouthed in surprise.

"I actually wanted to hook up with Ren so he could get me pregnant and ditch the whole college thing. That, and I kinda had the idea of 'Kasumi Yoshizawa still has the talent after labor' for a headline." She shrunk onto her seat, but that didn't give Sumire any comfort.

"Jeez, how self-conceited are you?" Kawakami groaned.

"You're disgusting, you know that?" Sumire insulted Kasumi for telling the truth.

"I know."

Sumire shook her head and looked at the teachers. "Can we hurry this up? I'm not really happy having someone like her around in this counseling session. It makes me want to vomit a million times whenever I feel her presence and-"

Kasumi stopped her and stood up. "I'll leave. I'm not the main focus of the session, after all." She then left the office, giving everyone an upset look at Sumire, who then frowned afterwards.

"What? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, you didn't..." Haru reassured her half-heartedly, "but maybe you were a little too harsh on her?"

Shiho remained silent for a moment before standing up.

"I already read your diary, but I won't stay just to have spoilers on your counselling session and impending fate."

"Bye, Shiho-senpai." Sumire murmured as Shiho left the room. "Can I leave?"

"Not just yet, Yoshizawa-san." Kawakami wagged her finger. "We have to discuss about your academic issues and makeup projects."

Sumire sighed sadly, knowing this is all on her. "Classic Sumire, that's who I am. If we must..."

Outside, Shiho searched for the brunette twin as she was seen outside the school gates and pulling out a cigarette.

"You smoke?" Shiho's voice nearly caused her to drop the stick.

"Shit, you scared me." She glared at her before answering. "And yes, I do smoke. Since I was 16."

Shiho crossed her arms and decided to talk to Kasumi about her reason for putting Sumire into a bad position while recording their chat for Futaba to catch and keep for blackmail in case things go awry.

"So why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Don't bullshit me, Yoshizawa. You know what I'm talking about."

"Fine." Kasumi said as she uses a match to light the cigarette, making Shiho look at her with a quizzical expression. "I only began showing Sumire tough love and probably bullying after I heard our friends talking about us."

Shiho notices the cigarette shaking in Kasumi's fingers after she puffed out smoke. "Go on."

"They were planning on making fun of us during a school festival, and they opted to spare me if I humiliate Sumire myself. I wanted to refuse, but I had no choice!"

"You had a fucking choice."

"They told me to sabotage her performance after we heard she joined gymnastics to be like me. I did so by giving Sumire the wrong equipment, and when she stumbled I was told to ignore her. Our friends stuck to their word, but soon they became bullies to Sumire and then I just thought it was their way of making Sumire toughen up instead of clinging onto me all the time."

"So you fucking sold her out."

"No! It's not like that! I'm just scared of being a loner again, you know? I didn't want to lose the friends we made before we reached high school..."

Shiho slapped her in the cheek, causing the cigarette to fall off her mouth. "That doesn't give you the goddamn right to fuck her life up!" She beats her own chest as she argued. "Look at me! Bullied for being friends with Ann and Ryuji at 14, forced to retire from volleyball and raped by Kamoshida at 16, and became a prostitute at 18 until last spring! I nearly killed myself more than once for it, so when I saw how strong-willed Sumire was to help me out of that shit, I was blessed. Because no one- not even Ann, Ryuji, or Ren- bothered to help me in quitting the dirty life."

"What's your point?"

"The point is... you made the bad choice of discarding your sister just to keep the friends who are 'true friends' when Sumire stated they're only your friends because you're very famous and having Sumire around as dead weight ruins your rep! You're no better than the people who Ren had fought just to end up staying labeled as a criminal despite his innocence."

Kasumi stayed silent for a bit and pondered while Shiho continued.

"She had more heart than you'll ever have, Kasumi Yoshizawa. Remember that she would rather gain friends the hard way, even if she had to be you to catch our attention. At this rate, _you_ are the loner now."

"Tch." Kasumi shook her head. "I dunno if that's just your sympathy or romantic ass speaking."

"Well, fuck you too."

The two then see Sumire exit the gate, who then sees Kasumi smoking.

"I thought you quit smoking."

"I still do when I'm stressed."

Sumire rolled her eyes and began walking before Shiho called her out.

"Hey, wait! What did the faculty say about your attendance and conduct?"

Sumire stopped walking and answered without looking at them. "I obviously will not maintain the scholarship any further due to the attendance being a major factor in my grades. As for my homework and quizzes, I'll be doing a lot of makeup homework and projects for compensation. Now if you excuse me, Shiho-senpai.... I have something to do in Ann's condominium tonight."

Shiho sighed. After Sojiro considered letting her go for the time being, Sumire hasn't been talking to anyone except Ann or Shiho.

"See you later tonight?" was all Shiho can say. Sumire nods and continues walking away while Kasumi threw the cigarette butt.

"Well, that was fruitful."

After earning a punch to the shoulder, Kasumj notices Maruki emerge from the gates and see the two standing around. "Everything okay?"

"Peachy."

"Salty."

The counselor then returned the diary to Shiho. "Well, we managed to snap her off her academic issues and gave her time to make up for the classes she missed with homework and stuff. However, repairing relationships- her family and friends- is something that'll take too much time."

Kasumi grabbed the diary and checked the pages. "You really filled a lot of pages here."

"Only out of memory. Why?"

Kasumi then looked at her twin's diary again and sports a weak smile. "I think I have an idea. Anyone one of you have copies of her photos?"

Later on that night, Sumire reluctantly accepted Ann's help in her homework. According to the blonde, she needs to find a way to restore her school instincts... and homework is her best bet. When Shiho arrived, the trio began to have home examinations (for Sumire to pass) as they eat the whole night away. After a while, Ann asked Sumire.

"Sumire-chan."

"Y-Yes?"

"Do you regret meeting us or being our friends?"

"Um...."

Ann frowned as she glanced at Shiho for a sec. "Coz Shiho and I don't regret our friendship with you."

Sumire looked at the two as she spoke in a guilty tone. "Even if I am a thief and a fraud?"

The blonde looked at her best friend, who told her she is being bullied in school away from any school authorities or law-abiding students.

"Grr, those bastards."

".... I don't, honestly."

Ann and Shiho then look at Sumire, who managed to answer while holding her tears.

"I thought I was going to be alone forever... no friends, no family, no anyone..."

Ann felt sad and opened her arms for Sumire to hug. "You can trust us, Sumire-chan."

Sumire hugged and cried on Ann's shoulder while Shiho can only look. She then pulled her phone out and saw Kasumi's text (which she begrudgingly asked for her number earlier for the plan's sake).

_"Can you make sure my sister does not go off on her own for the next few weeks?"_

"This plan better work...." Shiho muttered under her breath as she looked at Ann and Sumire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Sumire is quite moody and selective in talking to anyone, regardless if it's her family or her newfound friends since spring. However, Sumire will not stay cold for long as the next episode, "Take Your Heart Back", focuses on the others trying to bring back the Sumire that they know and love!
> 
> Heads-up on the chapters left:
> 
> Take Your Heart Back - Regain Sumire's joy back.  
> Farewell - Self-explanatory.  
> I Am Myself Once Again - Sumire makes amends with Kasumi and her parents.  
> ??? - ???


	41. Take Your Heart Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Sumire returns to school, but finds annoyance in Kasumi following her around as part of a deal between Kasumi and Yu. Meanwhile, Shiho and Ann express their kindness to remain friends with Sumire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter, guys!
> 
> This may be longer than the previous chapter since I'll cram certain events of February into this chapter. Next chapter will take place around March already.
> 
> Also, I miiiiiight be off for a week. I got a scheduled appointment for dental surgery, so I am writing this now as well as the other chapter for The War That Ends The World in advance.
> 
> With that said, let's go!

February has arrived, and Sumire can only repeat her routine of 'Fuck off, leave me alone' and 'Please don't get mad at me' as she kicked the snow off the sidewalk. She isn't in the right mind whether to be mad or sad or something.

"I know I made everyone upset about my absences and skips..." She began talking to herself. "But stupid Kasumi just had to stick around like some stray cat bugging me all the time!"

She looked at the stoplight as a few students began to whisper about her. She didn't let it go easily, though.

"What are you looking at?"

"Don't assume we're looking at you, you fraud!"

"What was that? I think your mouth is covered by your ass. Please speak again." Sumire was very harsh with those words as her opponent pushed her to the road.

"You think you know me, bitch! We know you not as some fake fuck, but you also happen to be a lunatic!"

Sumire stood up and attempted to fight back, but she falls down and lands face-first into the snow as the students laughed at her.

"See? Can't even fight back, you weak f-AAARGH!"

Behind him was Akechi, who gripped his shoulder so hard he is close to rupturing the blood vessels.

"Hasn't Yu Narukami told you about the "No Bullying" policy? I can surely do him a favor and deal with you instead." He spoke with a devilish smile.

"Let me go!"

"Not until you apologize to Yoshizawa-san."

The student then turned to apologize without sincerity, but instead Sumire punches him in the face and breaks some of his teeth. Akechi chuckled at the sight and lets the student go.

"You'll pay for this!" The student yelled as he ran off with his friends.

"Are you okay?" Akechi dusted the snow off Sumire's clothes.

"Y-Yeah..."

"Don't worry about them.... _I will break them_."

"What do you want? Here to apprehend me for violating the law?" She probed him coldly, causing him to chuckle again.

"No, I asked Makoto to pull some huge favors and let you off the charges. Your family won't even file a case against you after they saw your diary's contents."

"Urgh, do all of you know secrecy!?" She grew irritated whenever someone will mention her diary. However, she sighed in defeat after Akechi told her.

"Had you not thrown it away in your desperation to become your more-famous twin, we wouldn't have saved you from your attempt in Sunset Bridge."

Akechi then brought her to a nearby cafe located a few blocks away from the school.

"Hey, Akechi... I'm gonna be late." She informed him.

"Worry not, Sumire-san. I know that Okumura is your teacher for the first subject of the day, but I asked her a favor and decided to talk to you for a bit." Akechi gave her reassurance, but his assertive approach did not help as she attempted to walk away.

"That's great and all, but I must really go..."

"I used to be like you, you know."

His words stopped her from taking another step and made her turn around.

"What did you say?"

"I used to be like you..." He started talking. "Desperate, crazy, trying to prove something against everyone's expectations."

"Why are y-"

"I used to be a pawn for Masayoshi Shido. His personal assassin in order to keep him from losing the elections. At that time, I thought I managed to get that sick motherfucker's attention and pride. Sadly, I was only a mere tool and people knew me for being Shido's assistant and informant... Not the kind of thing for me."

Sumire showed little fear towards Akechi as he continued.

"One by one, I kill people so he can stay afloat. I did it so that he could recognize me one day as his own bastard son. But no... I had a gut feeling he planned on selling me out to the public like how he framed Ren for rape and murder years ago."

Sumire bit her lip at the mention of Ren's name. Akechi noticed her reaction and probed her.

"Still feeling uncomfortable about him?"

"Y-Y-Yes..." She stuttered.

"Understandable. He was actually a target of mine after Kunikazu Okumura, Junya Kaneshiro, SIU Director Kai Bukuzima, Asakusa State Law Chairman Daisuke Nobunaga, and 9 others were getting scandalized over the years. He had everything: the bravery, the intuition, the wits, and even friends and strangers he can call a family of his own after his bloodline casted him away."

Sumire still has memory of what Ren told her back in the Wilton Hotel last September.

"Right..." was all she could say.

"I only joined him after he exposed half of the Diet. After that, I was given an order from Ren to expose the offshore accounts and other secrets that Shido has been doing under everyone's noses."

Akechi cleared his throat after a few coughs.

"I grew envious of him, obviously, and it somehow made me question myself. But in the end, I cast aside my hatred for him and looked for a better version of myself."

"Like the swan in the Ugly Duckling story." She muttered.

"Yes. The ugly duckling was shunned because it did not fit in with the group it thought it belonged to. When the duckling knew what it was capable of, it became a swan did things that ducks alone couldn't do." Akechi smiled genuinely, causing Sumire to blush. "And mind you that you are not ugly, Sumire-san. Another thing I'm jealous of Ren of was having you as his woman... until he used you."

Sumire frowned again. "I can't forgive him for what he has done. I feel guilty, but he doesn't genuinely care for me like how he-"

Sumire stopped talking as Kasumi was approaching them. She then bade Akechi a quick farewell and left, causing the brown-haired twin to groan in defeat.

"Shit, I should have been more subtle."

"You should have been more humble and caring."

"Shut up."

Since her talk with Akechi, Sumire was absent-minded in her classes as she would only mutter the answer because she either knew about it beforehand or she was lucky. Even whenever Kawakami, Haru, or Maruki would greet her, she would respond with a bland "Hey" and continue her train of thought. It along the spectrum of Akechi and Ren's past to her senpai to even her own future. It wouldn't be until she arrived back in Ann's condominium and in the middle of her shower that she would snap back to reality... all because of one word: food.

_"Sumire-chan! Dinner is ready!"_

"H-Huh?" She then looked at herself, getting wet by the water coming out of the shower head as her body glistens under the light. "Hang on, I didn't hear you!"

_"I said seafood carbonara is ready! Pluuus you got homework to do afterwards!"_

"Alright! Let me finish up!" Sumire then dared to reach to her groin and feel her vagina's insides.

_Wow, I'm so loose. I guess Ren-Senpai was really-_

_Wait, I shouldn't think about him like that. It feels like a traumatizing time, and maybe I'm too perverted to actually think of this in the middle of my recovery. Stupid Sumire..._

Removing her slim fingers from her slit, she quickened her bath and wrapped herself in a towel. But right on cue, Yusuke and Futaba barged in.

"WAZZUP!?" Futaba called out with pride until Sumire's cry of embarrassment alerted them.

"WAH!"

"Not again!" Yusuke hung his head.

"My eyes!" Futaba immediately hid behind Yusuke.

"Futaba! Yusuke!" Ann chided them. "Knock before entering, will ya!?"

Sumire ran to her room to dress up as Futaba knocked on her door.

_"I'm sorry, Sumire! I didn't know you were from a bath!.... Though I think I'm used to seeing you naked already..."_

Sumire furrowed her brows in confusion after she heard the last part as she immediately dressed up the clothes Ann prepared for her. After she exits the room, she is greeted by the blonde who then made a superhero pose.

"Let's go! Feather Purple!"

Sumire giggled as she then pointed out a flaw. "Your panties says otherwise, _Pink Argus._ "

"Huh?"

"She is right, Ann. Your underwear is revealing since your zipper is down."

Ann blushed furiously after Yusuke clarified. Sumire then resumed to staying quiet since Futaba and Yusuke are around as Ann presented to them the pasta she prepared. After only 3 minutes...

"I feel like a bear ready for hibernation." Yusuke held his stomach.

"I got annihilated...." Futaba groaned in pain.

"That's what you get for grabbing huge servings!" Ann scolded them since she had the least amount eaten. She then noticed Sumire keeping quiet after she ate a huge amount. "Is something wrong, Sumire-chan?"

"N-No! Nothing's w-w-wrong... But..." She snapped out, but felt anxious after seeing Yusuke and Futaba after what happened.

"It's fine, Sumire!" Futaba chimed. "We all have those days where we've been hammered."

"But I fooled you all by-"

"That matters not anymore, Sumire." Yusuke interrupted her. "We have seen the true nature of the real Kasumi, and honestly we prefer her than you."

Sumire then gave a weak smile before suddenly blushing intensely. "Um, mind if I ask?"

"Sure!" Ann replied.

"What did Futaba-san mean by 'saw me naked already?'"

Ann and Yusuke glared at the gremlin, who suddenly hid behind the couch.

"Damnit, Futaba!"

"You really should know when to keep your thoughts to yourself."

Sumire then blushed further as she tried to retreat to her room. She then noticed the hidden camera on the corner of her room. Not on the ceiling or the ground... but by the wall.

"WAAAHH!! You recorded me and Senpai having sex when I was still pretending to be Kasumi!?" Even after she swore to not talk about Ren a lot, the fact that they did it a lot is embedded to her memory.

"I'm busted! Time to make like a transformer and-"

Ann grabbed her jacket. "NOT SO FAST, FUTABA SAKURA! You are going to explain to Sumire-chan what you saw!"

February 14. Valentine's Day. A day where the girls give gifts to the ones they love....

.

.

.

... "As if that'll happen anytime soon."

Sumire leaned on the table as she listened to the teacher's discussion regarding Eastern and Western cultures in the language of love in her social sciences class. Her teacher then called her out.

"Yoshizawa-san, if you may?"

"Y-Yes!"

"Between the Americans and the Japanese, who is more expressive in terms of showing their love for their partner?"

"Umm.... Americans?"

"Wonderful! I'm glad you're back to your studious self. Now as to why she..."

Sumire only guessed. She never studied about it nor cared for it. She could listen further to the discussion until the bell rang for the next subject. Her next class happened to be Kawakami's, who disarranged the laboratory and tested their speed in reorganizing the entire workplace. Sumire immediately went to business, reorganizing and even changing the arrangement of a few things. With just her speed, even her own classmates couldn't begin their tasks while Kawakami flashed a smile. From outside the window, Kasumi felt a smile creep on her face.

_Nearly back to Classic Sumire now. I hope my plan works._

As school ended for the day, Sumire was appraoched by Shiho. The ravenette then offered her chocolates when no one was looking.

"I-I-I know you don't feel the same, Sumire, but can you, uh, join me tonight for dinner?" Shiho stammered her words, still showing her affection to Sumire.

"You mean like a date?" _Wait, how am I calm about this?_

"Yeah..."

Sumire then accepted the chocolates. "Sure! Where we going?"

The two reached Dome Town together for the Valentine Night Special. Sumire and Shiho looked nervous, especially the latter, as she slowly held Sumire's hand.

"Can I tell you something as we eat in the place I'm suggesting?" Shiho muttered while turning pink.

"S-Sure. I wanna know why you like me, Shiho-senpai."

They then arrived at Aiya's Beef Bowl Shop, located a few meters away from the Dragon Roller-coaster. Sumire then looked at the roller-coaster and remembered the time Ren managed to get her to ride the speed demon back in the summer. Shiho then saw the frown that formed in her face.

"You alright?"

"Y-Yeah. Let's eat."

After taking their orders and waiting for the meal, Shiho then began to open up.

"I had a gut feeling I might have liked you back when you pried into my business before. I know I made things awkward with that shared bath we had before, but...."

"You e-e-enjoyed it, huh?"

"When you say it like that, it somewhat doesn't feel awkward."

Both girls blushed.

"I hope you don't find it weird that I like you."

"N-No, I don't. I find it cute."

"Wait, what?"

Sumire giggled as her blush went away. "So when did you start falling for me? I kinda forgot."

Shiho remained quiet, knowing that her answer is filled with guilt.

"On the day you had a breakdown, I was supposed to ask you out for some time together. I felt guilty for making you feel pressured and snap your sanity... but you already knew that, huh?"

"Yeah. And I thought Ren-senpai loved me for who I am."

"We all had our mistakes, Sumire. My mistake was allowing myself to be weak, your mistake was allowing your insecurities to take over you, and Ren's mistake is him not realizing that you are the best version of yourself when you're showing things only Sumire Yoshizawa can do."

Sumire then pulled out the box and saw the shape of the chocolates.

"Volleyballs, huh?"

"Even if I was forced to retire, there's a reason why I'm coaching young kids."

Sumire smiled as she took a bite. Her eyes lit up as she saw the filling.

"Strawberry?"

"Y-Yeah. I kinda got the idea when you had to fight your twin back in the Wilton, so sorry about that."

Shiho was shocked to see Sumire finishing the last chocolate piece.

"Holy shit, my hunger cannot defeat yours."

The waitress then arrived with their orders and greeted the two Happy Valentines.

"The thing made me fell for you the most was your style. Sure, you managed to get Kasumi's bold nature... but you mixed it with how graceful you are. And with that, you showed us something amazing... a product that came from you."

Sumire averted her gaze from Shiho. _Geez, she spent way too much time with him._

"I, uh, actually have something for you." Shiho then pulled her diary out and gave it to Sumire.

"You're returning this to me?"

"Futaba told me to tell you to open it the next time you're in LeBlanc. We Phantom Thieves miss you."

Sumire nods with watery eyes before wiping them off. "Let's eat then! I wanna take you somewhere tonight."

The two went to Inokashira Park later that evening as they went boating in the lake.

"We're not gonna make out in this boat, right?" Shiho began to feel anxious. "Based on your diary and experience with him, you're a lot dirtier than Kasumi."

"Hey!"

"I'm speaking facts here. I mean, Kasumi told me she only had sex a handful of times."

Sumire turned beet red. "Are you trying to say I'm addicted to sex?!"

"N-No! That's not what I meant..." Now Shiho blushed. "Crap, now I'm getting those thoughts."

The two then sat as they rowed the boat to the center.

"This is the most awkward yet marvelous date I've ever been."

"Agreed. But-"

"I know, Shiho-senpai."

The two then let their boat waddle in the middle of the lake. Sumire then tried to talk about Ren until Kasumi saw them.

"Sumire? Suzui-san?"

"Damnit."

"No." Shiho held her hands before she grabbed the oars. "Hear her out. She's trying to be careful."

Kasumi then began paddling the boat, but she is only getting more frustrated because she couldn't move.

"Stupid boat! Move to them!" She accidentally launched herself to the water and instead swam to their boat. "Mind if I join?"

Sumire then allowed her to sit while Shiho volunteered to move Kasumi's boat close.

"So what do you want to talk about?" Sumire suddenly shifted to a cold tone.

"Will you give it a rest?" Kasumi removed her shirt and squeezed the water off. "I've already had enough shit from your friends. Seems like they care about you a lot."

Sumire eased up as she wanted to hear more from her twin. "What else did they say?"

"A lot I can't comprehend. To be honest, I'm a bit jeal-AH!"

Kasumi fell into the water again as she stood up to remove her jogging pants. Sumire helped her up and told her to talk more about it in LeBlanc when she goes there again. Shiho returns with her boat and volunteered to bring Kasumi back to her parents. But before so... Sumire kisses Shiho again.

"A kiss of thanks."

"You're sure you're not bisexual, Sumire?" Kasumi asked as she squeezed her shirt again.

"N-No! I mean, I don't mind being admired by Shiho-senpai here, but-"

Kasumi and Shiho chuckled at how flustered Sumire went.

"Don't worry. We get it."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Sumire?" Shiho bashfully asked.

"Sure. We can hang out after school if you want."

Shiho smiled and rowed the boat back to shore as Sumire laid down on her boat to think about things.

A week later, Sumire finally decided to go to LeBlanc as she waited for Shiho to join her. Haru saw her by the gate and asked to join them in going to LeBlanc. As the three women arrived, there was no sign of Sojiro or Ren. As the redhead opened the door, she is greeted by a group of people sitting by the booths.

"Surprise!" Ryuji, Ann, Morgan, Yusuke, and Futaba cheered while Sojiro, Akechi, Makoto, and Kasumi looked at her.

"Wha- What's going on?" Sumire was lost.

"Welcome back to LeBlanc!" Futaba announced. "But the real surprise is upstairs!"

Sumire can hear Ren scrambling in his room.

_"Wait, already!? I haven't even started!"_

"Then hurry it up, kid! You want her to forgive you or not?"

_"I already told you: I deserve to be unforgiven."_

Sumire felt a pang of guilt in her heart as Ryuji smacked her back.

"Man, it's been a while huh?"

"Ow..."

"Shit! Sorry!"

Sojiro chuckled. "How was your date with Suzui last week?"

"I'm not bisexual, okay? But I did enjoy spending Valentines with her."

"Awww, how sweet." Ann chimed as she looked at Morgan. "That's how you win a girl's heart, not pestering me everyday because you want to."

"Way to put me into a corner."

Everyone laughed as Ren descended from the stairs.

"Ren."

"Sumire."

Kasumi then looked at her twin. "Brought the diary?"

"Yeah." Sumire replied as she pulled it out. As she did, a red card fell from the pages. Sumire picked it up and read the short contents.

**Sumire Yoshizawa, the Heartbroken Beauty**

**We hope that the memories we added to your journey will bring you back to us.**

**From, the Phantom Thief**

Sumire looked at Ren, the true alleged Phantom Thief, and to Akechi, who facepalmed at the use of their old monikers. She opened the journal and saw her past pages filled up with Kasumi's signature. From her first baseball match win to the time she felt happy about seeing Bubbles on her own to even movie nights with her family....

"Kasumi... you remembered?"

"I did. Even if I never cared about them at all, they mean a lot to you."

Sumire then saw more pages being filled. Mostly from Kasumi, especially the secretive ones.

"Hey, how did you-"

"You sneak to my room, and I sneak to yours. Come on, Sumire."

Everyone wanted to ask Kasumi about what she meant, but she waved them off. Sumire checked her entry from last spring, where she noticed that Ann made her entries.

"I still owe you coffee after I scared you back in Kichijoji. Ehehe."

She noticed that every new entry in-between her logs were signed by different people. Shiho, Ren, Yusuke, Futaba, Sojiro, Haru, Maruki, and even Kawakami (who isn't present) made their mark.

"You all did this for me?"

"We noticed that you didn't write much, so we just filled up the rest and added some photos." Ryuji enthusiastically said.

"You didn't write that much, Sakamoto-san." Kasumi shot at him.

"Hey! Don't ruin my moment here!"

Sumire was amazed that her plea of help in her final log was replaced by responses from the others. She looked at the succeeding pages to see that Akechi, Makoto, Ryuji, Haru, Ann, and Shiho wrote more of her memories. She did notice one thing odd about the pictures she has been seeing in her diary.

"Who edited the hair to red?"

"I did!" Futaba gave a cheeky proud grin.

"Okay." Sumire muttered as Futaba felt dejected. She then noticed that on certain days, there were symbols that could indicate one thing.

"Are these symbols indicating-"

"Yep." Ren immediately answered, but everyone shook their heads.

"We know you two bang thrice a week. Give it a break now." Makoto looked at Ren with an annoyed look as Sumire blushed more the more she saw the symbols.

"Why did it have to be thrice a week?" She begrudgingly asked herself.

"Beats me. Figured you were hungrier than I was." Kasumi teased her twin.

More entries about her achievements went on. From the cookoff to the dance to even the birthday party planned. The only photo Futaba couldn't edit was the Fab Zone raw copy.

"Punk-ass Mishima barred the photo from getting edited."

"Well, of course it'd be barred. That's like stealing a photographer's credit!" Ann chided her.

Sumire then checked the December log. The latest being her photograph with the group in the Midori Stadium.

"I don't deserve these memories." Sumire began. "This has Kasumi written all over it. These aren't my achievements."

"Bullshit, Sumire."

"Huh?"

Kasumi stood up and looked at her in the eye. "It may have my name on it, but these are stuff you did for yourself. Stopping Shiho Suzui from prostitution after the traumatic experience? I can't do that. Stopping the abusive uncle of Futaba Sakura from harassing them? Not my power. Helping a weirdo like Yusuke Kitagawa in finding inspiration? I would have avoided him. Assisting a half-disgraced actress-model in rekindling old relationships? Not my style."

"Your point?"

"My point is... you do things that I am afraid or apathetic to do. And I..." The brunette then looked at everyone. "I'm so jealous of you."

"K-Kasumi?"

Kasumi clenched her fists as she held her tears. "I'm so jealous that you have genuine friends who look after you! I know I still have my friends, but after Suzui-san told me that you told her that Jiya and the others are just my friends because I have something special to keep them among the ranks... I'm just scared, okay?"

Sumire kept quiet as she closed her diary.

"I'm afraid of being alone again. You and I never had a lot of friends, remember?"

"You were too arrogant and I was too disinterested." 

"Y-Yeah. I'm sorry if the way I treated you was actually bullying you. I guess I was too self-conceited about my own life that I forgot about yours as well."

"Inexcusable."

"I know, I know. I just wished I never joined gymnastics in the first place...."

Sumire then approached Kasumi and hugged her, much to everyone's surprise.

"Just stick with gymnastics, Kasumi. Or maybe pursue something that athletes like you can do after college." She spoke with a sad yet comforting tone.

"You know Mom and Dad are gonna ground you until I graduate myself, right?"

"I know. I deserve it anyway."

Everyone wanted to protest about it, but they let Sumire do the talking.

"I don't know when you'll need me back to Okinawa, but please allow me to finish my schooling here."

Kasumi then somberly looked at Sumire. "I'll see what I can do, okay?"

"Fair enough."

Kasumi then stepped to the side to let Ren and Sumire talk.

"I haven't forgiven you entirely yet, but if it works for you.... you better give me sincere dates to make up for what you've done." Sumire demanded.

"I accept the terms and conditions of the deal." Ren snarked, allowing Sumire to hum in approval. He then remembered to grab the surprise, which was a portrait of Sumire surrounded by photos of the memories she made.

"Is that..."

"I can tell you that I did not assemble all those photos and surround them in that portrait." Yusuke interjected. "Ren himself did."

"Gee, thanks for the words of encouragement." Ren looked at Yusuke, who was already criticizing the collage.

Sumire took the huge frame and gave a soft smile. "Thanks. I guess."

Ren smirked. "Fair enough. Now I gotta do more things to make sure you forgive me 110%."

Everyone, including Sumire, chuckled.

"Now that that's done, let's have a photo together again!" Futaba yelled. Instead, everyone got moving. "What?!"

"I still gotta meet up with Kanji, Futaba. See ya!" Ryuji left as Maruki helped him with his crutches.

"I gotta head back to the condominium. I have an appointment to talk with a guy named Shou Inoue and I already invited him there." Ann sheepishly said as she left with Morgan in tow.

One by one, everyone except Ren and Yoshizawa sisters were left in LeBlanc with the Sakuras. Sumire smiled and sat by the counter, feeling something lifted off her chest.

"One Arabica, please."

Sojiro smiled. "Coming right up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sumi is back to her sweet demeanor! (For now)
> 
> I know.... It looks like I'm implying Shiho x Sumire on this one. But it's one-sided and Sumire can be daring in her own way. At least Shiho didn't receive the wrong end of the romance, even if Sumire is only limited as her bestie/crush.
> 
> As for Ren and Sumi... they're back together, but not as an official couple. This will make sense as we head to the next chapter, "Farewell", as March arrives and Sumire is nearing her end in her freshman year....
> 
> ..... So until then, see ya in a week!


	42. Farewell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Sumire interacts with Akechi about their comparisons, talks to Futaba and Yusuke, goes on a Valentine's Date with Shiho, and begins her return to happiness after receiving gifts from the group, conditioning Ren for his redemption, and finally hearing Kasumi out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long chapter is here!
> 
> I may have completed my one-week rest, but I'm posting this now coz I'll be having these stitches removed by tomorrow. Though I am now back to writing and drawing, my time is still limited due to more appointments happening this week. So yeah....
> 
> This is only long because the second half of the chapter focuses on Sumire's thoughts about everyone. So I hope that this is enough drama.
> 
> Also, holla if you noticed the references.
> 
> With that said, let's go.

As promised, Ren began to take Sumire out on compensation dates. The first date he had in mind was in Shinagawa, where Bubbles the Dolphin is still active despite the cold water (or at least, that's what he saw on the poster). However, he changed his mind before it could happen and instead resorted to a movie date in Kichijoji, where they watched a film about emotions having emotions.

"Of all the movies, you picked this one?" Sumire pouted at Ren.

"Hey, I just thought of this at the last minute after I answered my long quiz." He made his defense.

"Fine. Though it's been a while since I saw an animated film."

The two then entered the cinema, where nobody was around.

"Huh. Expected this place to be crowded." Ren muttered.

"Y-Yeah... I noticed the five-star rating in the film's poster." Sumire murmured as they sat. Alone. In the cinema.

Sumire suddenly gets the urge to make a move, but Ren slinks his arm behind her and pats her back.

"Relax. This may be a compensation date, but don't think about doing anything else."

"R-R-Right."

The movie began showing, and as the film reached near the end... only they were still the ones watching the whole thing.

"Kinda sad that no one would watch this." Sumire frowned. "I seem to like this so much despite how sad half of it was."

"Yeah." Ren then felt something churn in his stomach. "H-Hang on. I gotta use the r-r-restroom!"

He made a beeline to the men's restroom as Sumire was left alone. She then witnessed the scene where Sorrow had to handle the controls and allow sad memories to occur for good memories to happen after, shocking Glee, Temper, Cowardice, and Discomfort.

_I get it now.... In order for happiness to happen, one must experience something that causes sadness._

_Yeah, Glee. It's not a bad thing to be sad, you know._

_What do you mean it's not a bad thing? Of course it is!_

_Temper!_

_No, he's right. It is a bad thing for most of everyone, but it is a need in order for other emotions to give impact._

_So you're telling me that you guys were responsible for Hailey returning to Mom and Dad?_

_Yep._

_And you did that by making her sad?_

_Yep._

_Okay. Let's hope things turn out okay._

"I'm back." Ren announced as he noticed how entranced Sumire is with the film and leaves her be as he sat back. He then noticed Sumire cry as the scene then showed the girl hugging her parents after running away from home because she was being bullied.

_Mom... Dad... I'm so sorry..._

_It's okay to not be okay, Hailey. Every dog has its day, after all._

_Robert, enough with the metaphors already._

_Come on, Delilah. I'm just trying to cheer her up._

_Do you want to talk about it, Hailey?_

_Mmm-hmm._

"Sumi..." Ren murmured as he knew the movie he picked was an accidental trigger to her own problem. He decided to not interrupt Sumire in her viewing, knowing too well how much family means to her.

"Ren?" She said his name. "Do you hate your family?"

Ren looked at her with surprise. He was clearly taken aback by the question, but Sumire kept her eyes glued to the movie.

"Sometimes."

"Why?"

"Well, I dunno if you still remembered our conversation back when you were pretending to be Kasumi.... but they casted me away despite my extraneous efforts to make sure I was proven innocent."

"Then why answer sometimes and not entirely?"

Ren sighed deeply as he figured out where the conversation was going.

"I still have to be grateful to them for raising me to know what's right and wrong. Oddly enough, they were the very people I was taught to fight against."

Sumire then remained silent for a while until the credits began rolling. She then spoke up without moving a muscle.

"You're aware that I have to leave Tokyo next month, right?"

"Sumi..."

She then looked at him with sad eyes. "Even though I was only a steppingstone to your successful research and probably went mentally deranged for doing everything for Kasumi.... I have no regrets in being in love with you."

She then stood up and walked to the doors. Ren followed her and tried to catch her by the exit.

"Sumire, wait!"

She stopped her tracks after hearing him call her out. She fought back any tears that were forming as she turned to look at him.

"Ren, you don't understand..."

"I do." He answered firmly. "You're probably grounded for life and banned from schooling. But Kasumi promised to make sure you still get to go to school..."

"I know. It's just..."

She felt him hug her tightly, allowing her to hug him back. Tears finally flowed down her cheeks as she lets her head rest on his chest.

"How much time do I have left before you leave?" He asked carefully.

"I.... I dunno." She somberly replied. Even she has no idea when.

"Should you ask Kasumi?"

".... No. I'll just let her tell me."

"Okay." He then carefully asked her. "Should I bring you to Inokashira Park or straight home?"

"Your choice." She briefly said as they continued hugging.

March has arrived, and Sumire managed to finish passing her makeup projects at last. Before she could let out a sigh of relief, Kawakami made the announcement of the Finals exams which she is expecting from everyone with a death glare. Sumire pulls out her notebook to begin writing down the coverage and making note of what to prioritize in studying. She then looked at the date and began to frown.

_It's been a year now since the accident. I wonder-_

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by a student who clearly isn't listening to Kawakami's discussions.

"Kasumi Yoshizawa is retiring from gymnastics!"

"What?" Sumire was surprised.

"Hey, redhead! Why didn't you tell us?!"

"Treat her with respect, goddamnit!" Kawakami flared at the student.

"I didn't know!" Sumire made her defense as everyone began looking at their phones, influencing Kawakami to check hers as well. It was a live broadcast of Kasumi's press conference with a huge headline: **OLYMPIAN KASUMI YOSHIZAWA QUITS GYMNASTICS**

"What gave you the decision to quit gymnastics as the Olympics draws close?" A reporter frantically questioned her.

"What would happen to your qualification as the representative of Japan?!" Another asked.

"Is this in regards to your identity theft from your mentally ill twin?"

Kasumi was annoyed at that question and answered immediately.

"This has nothing to do with my sister's actions or mental health. But this has something to do with my actions that have been deemed unforgivable. I know that several gymnastics associates are opting to revoke the awards Sumire has garnered while impersonating as me, but I ask that you let her keep them. In a recent talk with her, it came to my realization that she has done all of these actions for me, and honestly... it pains me to realize that I have been too rough on her despite how dedicated she is to making the Yoshizawa name proud in anyway she can."

She then removed her ribbon and puts on glasses, confusing the media and the journalists.

"Starting tomorrow, I will no longer be known as Kasumi Yoshizawa, the Scarlet Scorpion. I am Kasumi Yoshizawa, a young woman with potential to succeed in the real world with no privileges, shortcuts, or deals! I have yet to announce my replacement for the Olympics, but for now I request you do not question my sister nor question me about my sister. Please excuse me."

The journalists then began to scramble as they demand more answers.

"You retired!?"

Sumire met up with Kasumi after school in LeBlanc to confront her about the decision.

"You sound upset."

"Of course I'm upset! This is your dream, isn't it?!" Sumire couldn't believe that Kasumi is serious.

"Yo, are you sure your parents agreed to that?" Sojiro asked the brunette, who hums in approval.

"Yeah. I mean, I still gotta do rehab with my hip and all. That one time having sex with Ren gave me a grim reminder..."

Ren nearly drops a plate. "That's your own fault for abusing the cowgirl position!"

"Gah! Too much lewd shit!" Futaba complained while Sojiro smacked her head with a newspaper.

"Give me a break, Futaba. You still spy on either twin doing the dirty with Ren here."

"Seriously?" Kasumi looked at the gremlin in disgust. "You are such a pervert, four-eyes."

"Am not!"

"Are too!" Ren and Sumire repelled her words.

Akechi, Makoto, and Sae enter the cafe after hearing the loud shouting from the group.

"It seems that LeBlanc never fails to surprise me." Akechi hummed.

"Yeah." Sae agreed as her eyes went onto Sumire. "Sumire-chan."

"Makoto-senpai's sister."

 _Of course she'd forget._ "I'm sorry for not realizing how much trouble you had with your family."

"Wha-"

Makoto stepped in, her belly already round. "I'm kinda at fault for updating Sis a lot. But she snitched on you entirely."

"Makoto!"

"It is true, Sae-san."

"Not you too, Akechi!"

Makoto and Akechi chuckled at Sae's reactions as they sat and looked at Kasumi.

"Why the retirement, Yoshizawa-san?" Makoto began.

"I had an epiphany."

"Epiphany, my ass." Akechi harshly snarked. "I'm feeling a strong sense of 'turning over a new leaf' bullshit in you."

"One way to put it." Kasumi shook her head as she looked at Sumire. "But honestly, maybe it's time for me to let go of the obsessive glory I've been clinging on to and try out something else for once."

"That would mean putting you in international headlines after tonight. And I don't know if the gymnastics world would like hearing that the youngest Olympic medalist is retiring because of an epiphany." Sae emphasized.

Sumire looked worried. "She's right, Kasumi. Reconsider the retirement thing... you don't need to do it for me."

"Well, that's pretty much like how you went to hell and back to try making me proud by pretending to be me and keeping a good rep."

Sumire frowned as Ren gave her coffee. "Something to cheer you up."

"Thanks, Ren."

"What about me?" Kasumi pouted.

"You came in here and never ordered for two straight hours." Ren answered nonchalantly.

"He's right, young lady." Sojiro cleaned his glasses.

"So 'zucchero' means sugar in Italian... while 'ciocolatta' means chocolate... Ugh, why can't they just straight-up go English in this?"

Sumire began to crumble in the pressure of the Final exams as she slumped off the couch in Ann's condo. Ann closed the book and faceplanted onto the couch itself.

"This is harder than I thought..." She muffled.

"I know, Ann-senpai." The redhead murmured as someone knocks on the door. "Come in."

Shiho, Ryuji, and Yusuke enter the condo with drained looks.

"Holy shit, what happened to you guys?" Ann looked at them with concern.

"Let's just say us losing a volleyball match to my trainees went haywire." Shiho clutched her ribs.

"They were like hyenas feasting on a dead gazelle." Yusuke muttered as he collapsed.

"You owe us a game, Yusuke! You were too busy admiring the formation of the kids' positions instead of setting up!" Ryuji kicked him in the butt, but winced after feeling pain in his other leg despite being in crutches.

"H-H-How's the leg, Ryuji-senpai?"

"It's getting alright." Ryuji reassured her but frowned soonafter. "But man, you got one helluva swing."

"I'm really sorry." Sumire bowed her head, but received headpats from him.

"Eh, don't sweat it."

"But why barge into my condo!?" Ann now asked a bigger question.

"Shiho said you have leftovers from last night, so we're raiding the fridge." Ryuji gave a grin as he carefully scanned the fridge's contents while Ann glared at Shiho.

"You're the one who told me that you couldn't finish your takeout!" Shiho pointed her finger at Ann.

"That doesn't mean you should intrude for the sake of eating." Sumire pouted at Shiho, who dropped her jaw in shock.

"HA!" Ann cried victoriously.

"I feel betrayed by my own best friend...." Shiho murmured.

".... who you happen to like with infatuation." Ann finished her statement, alerting Yusuke.

"What did you say?!"

"Oh, shit." Shiho and Ann said in unison as Yusuke began to hound on Shiho for the meaning. Sumire then continued studying foreign dishes where she has a bad habit of spelling it wrong.

"I just hope most questions are on multiple choice..." she muttered to herself.

Day 1 of the Final exams has arrived, and Sumire begins to make us of what she studied on the subjects.\

**Q: A sweetened cream desert thickened with gelatin and molded.**

**A:** Panna cota

**Q: T or F: Frankfurters were originated from Belgium.**

**A:** False

**Q: Which is bigger: a peanut or a pea?**

**A:** Pea

"Why am I cursed with this?" Sumire murmured as she slammed her face to the table after answering.

As soon as Day 1 ended, Shiho found Sumire playing a game on her phone. She decided to sit next to her.

"Hey, Shiho-senpai." She greeted gloomily.

"First day sucked, huh?"

"Yep."

"How did you do?"

"Terrible. Not a single fucking thing from what I studied showed up."

Shiho pats Sumire in the back while her voice betrayed the reassurance.

"I feel you..."

Day 2 has arrived.

**Q: Which of the following is not a French meal?**

**A:** Merde

**Q: The color of a flamingo if it has not consumed shrimps.**

**A:** Gray

**Q: An Italian dish of layered meat, spinach, and cheese. (Unfortunately used in some rapper's diss track)**

**A:** Lasagna

Sumire giggled after reading that question. "Thank you, Futaba Sakura."

As Day 2 ended, Sumire was walking home until she saw Kasumi near the pasta shop in Shinjuku.

"Kasumi? What are you doing here?"

Kasumi froze in place. _How the actual f-_

"I know one person who smokes while wearing athletic attire and a hooded jacket. Plus, that tattoo near your butt is showing."

"Like hell, there's a tattoo!" Kasumi scowled at Sumire, but realized she fell for her trick.

"Gotcha."

"Geez... You're getting better at your pranks." She tossed the cigarette and grabbed a mouthwash before speaking to Sumire. "Mom and Dad wants to see you later tonight. It's regarding us going home."

Sumire's mischievous grin dropped into a sad frown. "Oh." She immediately recuperated by pointing out Kasumi's smoking habit.

"O-Of course, they know!"

"Sounds like a lie."

"Oh, shut up!"

Later on that evening, Sumire met up with Kasumi, Shinichi, and Hanaki in a grillhouse in Kichijoji. Spotting her parents, people began eyeing Sumire as she made her way to the table.

"Looks like no one will take my words to heart, huh?" Kasumi sighed in disbelief.

"Don't mind them, dear." Hanaki told Kasumi as she looked at Sumire. "Sumire, dear."

"Mom. Dad."

"We're actually grateful you accepted the offer for dinner tonight." Shinichi addressed. "We were afraid you would have declined."

"Well, I am grounded for life. Remember?" Sumire wasn't sure whether to answer with sass or sadness.

"I know." Shinichi sighed. "Your mother and I talked a lot since you went to the hospital. We know what you did was wrong, but-"

"We're deeply sorry for neglecting you all these years." Hanaki went straight to the point.

"Okay." Sumire replied with a deadpan tone.

"Come on, Sumire." Kasumi poked her waist. "Mom, Dad. Just tell her already."

Shinichi then cleared his throat. "After thorough consideration, we have decided to ground you for only one year."

"Why a year?"

"Well, you did disappear on us for a year." Hanaki blurted out.

"Wait a minute, how did you even live off on your own with just 50,000 yen?" Kasumi interrupted them.

"Part-time job in LeBlanc. Freeloading in Ann's condo. Scholarship under your name. What were the odds?" Sumire replied.

"Thought so. How much was Sojiro Sakura's last payment to your hard work?"

"15,000 yen." Sumire spoke out. "Though it's mostly gone now since I used it for the buffet and Ren the night everything went to hell."

Hanaki and Shinichi now felt guilty. "What terrible timing then."

"Yep."

"Anyway," Hanaki resumed, "we're only grounding you for one year so that you and Kasumi are of the same year level by next year. That... and maybe you could use some peaceful time."

"Is my time with my friends not enough?" Sumire protested.

"You know what we mean, honey." Shinichi told her.

"We're trying to atone for our sins... by selfishly wanting you home with us for at least a year to make up for everything."

Sumire sunk back to her seat. She knew she'll be lonely again as the family she formed will not be with her for a year.

"When am I leaving?" She cautiously asked.

"After you finish your last examination tomorrow." Shinichi said. "We, uh, asked Mr. Narukami for a schedule."

"Figured much." Sumire crossed her arms. "But what about my stuff?"

"I'll deal with that." Kasumi volunteered. "Just give me the key to Takamaki-san's condo for me to pack your stuff for you."

Sumire nods, knowing that Kasumi is doing her best to repent. "Okay."

Sumire arrives home with Ann, Shiho, Ryuji, Futaba, Ren, Yusuke, and Haru waiting for her.

"Welcome home!" Everyone said.

"Wha-"

"Well, since we haven't had any word about you leaving yet, we just wanted to surprise ya with stuff." Ryuji flashed a toothy grin as he presented a cake.

"A cake?"

"Well, we never knew when your birthday was until Futaba looked it up on Wikipedia." Ann sheepishly replied. "So happy birthday!"

Sumire felt the urge to cry and wanted to tell them the bad news, but she was overwhelmed by how clueless they are to how she's feeling right now.

"I.... Thank you so much, guys..." She then cried as Ann hugged her.

"Hey, it's fine. No need to cry."

Yusuke then took a photo and began laughing to himself.

"Very well. Now, let us begin the feast!"

"Hell yeah!"

"Woot woot!"

"Alright!"

Ann and Ren looked at her. "Shall we go?"

"Y-Yes."

The group then began to have a wonderful evening together as Haru takes photos for Makoto, who is currently on maternity leave due to being 7 months pregnant already with a kid who will never know her father. Sumire couldn't stop herself from smiling or frowning at chance, as she knew this is her last time with them for now. The only thing lingering in her mind is a troublesome thought for her.

_Will they forgive for leaving without saying good-bye? Will they leave me after I don't show up for a year?_

As much as she has social media (wherein she posted her backup photos of her time as Kasumi as well as a few personal photos since high school), nothing beats true interaction with everyone.

The next day was the final exam, and Ann left early to do a photoshoot in Miura Beach. Sumire then packed a few things ahead and contacted Kasumi to deal with the rest as she answers the last exams. As she pressed send, she receives a message from Ren.

_"Hey, Sumire. I know this is sudden, but if you're not going home yet... maybe we could celebrate White Day together? It somewhat falls on your birthday as well, so it'll be a double bonanza for our makeup date. I kinda also wanted to invite you to watch me and Shiho graduate, if it's okay."_

"Ren..." Sumire's hands shook as she went down the elevator. "I'm sorry..."

Checking the calendar, it's already March 20. _Five more days until my birthday... and Kasumi's. And White Day._

Sumire then met up with Kasumi and quickly gave her the keys as she went on to her exams. As soon as she finished, she made sure she avoided Shiho and Ren to prevent herself from breaking down before the trip home. Instead, she bumps into Yu Narukami.

"Oh, Yoshizawa-san." He spoke. "You're finished with exams?"

"Y-Y-Yes." Sumire averted her gaze.

"It's okay. I know about everything, and I'm not holding a grudge on you." He said assertively. "You kinda remind me of Rise back then."

"Why so?"

"She couldn't juggle high school and college properly due to her career. She graduated college two years ago at the age of 24, so she's familiar with the likes of Ren Amamiya and Shiho Suzui. But that's a different story. What matters is that even if you won't be here for a year, I will keep the doors of the school open for your return."

SUmire smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"You still have a train to ride, yeah?"

"Yeah. Good-bye, Narukami-san."

Narukami then shook his head. "It's not a good-bye if we're seeing each other again after some time. It's more of a 'see you later' than a good-bye."

Sumire gave a weak smile and bowed. "Thank you for understanding, Narukami-san." She then ran off.

At the train station near Kichijoji, the Yoshizawa family waited near the train as Sumire ran up to them.

"Sorry I'm late!"

"It's fine, Sumire." Kasumi reassured her until she looked at her bags with furrowed brows. "Though I didn't expect you'd empty your bedroom when you ran away."

"It's not good for our hygiene to repeat the same clothes for two weeks, remember?" The redhead squinted in defense.

"Now, now. We'll talk more on the train." Shinichi then noticed that Sumire was alone. "You didn't tell your friends?"

Sumire then frowned. "No. Best if they don't know... they're probably gonna be too busy to talk to me."

Noticing that her self-esteem is decreasing again, Kasumi bonked her head.

"What the fuck, Kasumi?"

"You're moping again. Sheesh, you're gonna be back here in a year anyway."

"The train's going to leave in five minutes! Let's get going." Hanaki urged them to board the train. Sumire sat by the window with a gloomy expression while Kasumi sat next to her as she gripped her hip.

"Still hurts, huh?"

"Y-Yeah."

Kasumi looked at Sumire's phone, which already has 7 missed calls. And one buzzing incoming call.

"Are you gonna answer that?"

"... I won't. Please don't force me."

Kasumi then frowned as she watches the call end.

"Damnit, where is she?" Ren was getting worried about Sumire for not answering the phone. Everyone met up in Ann's condo when they found Sumire's bedroom empty and the door unlocked. Yusuke spotted a CD on the empty cabinet and picked it up.

"'To Everyone?'" He read the title.

"Quick! Play it in the DVD player!" Futaba grabbed the CD from Yusuke's hand and shoved it into the DVD player.

"Wait, it's Sumire..." Ann muttered.

The video then showed Sumire adjusting her hair and checking if Ann was still around. Now that the blonde is gone, she begins to look at her camera and talk.

_"Hey, guys. By the time you're seeing this, I'm already gone. My family told me that we're going home today and..."_

"Like hell, she's gone! Akechi, come on!" Ren grabbed his pal and ran off while everyone watched.

_"It's been a crazy year, I know. Crazier since I have been living the life of Kasumi just to gain your trust and friendship and all. But like everything else, all things must come to an end. I won't come back until a year later, meaning when I turn 21. I know you're probably mad at me for abandoning you guys like this, but I just feel uncomfortable in telling you guys that I'm leaving when you've already made plans for my birthday and all. I feel bad, and I swear I'll make up for my one-year absence."_

Ann, Shiho, and Futaba frowned while Yusuke, Ryuji, and Morgan continued watching with sullen eyes.

_"Ann-senpai, you're one of the first people I've met in Tokyo. You took me in when I had no place to stay, you introduced me to people who I was very nervous to talk to to, and you constantly made progress in fixing past relationships while making a new one in our friendship. I'm truly grateful for being with me and bearing with my unstable mental health, and I wish you good luck on your return to school."_

Ann was already weeping.

_"Shiho-senpai, when we first met... I was hoping you'd be as cheerful as Ann-senpai. But on that night where I saw things I shouldn't have, you decided to open up and let me help you. We had our ups and downs, but I'm glad you're one of my first best friends that I've made. Us training our bodies, gambling our hearts out and winning, doing goofy dances and whacky pranks, I enjoyed it. When you confessed to me that you love me, I know I feel bad for turning you down. But I do support you in any way I can, so best of luck to being both as a trainer and as a lover to whoever you will be with."_

Shiho cried on Ann's shoulder.

_"Futaba-san, I know we don't talk to each other much... but please know that you're one of the snarkiest, smartest, and probably the most closeted friend I've ever met. Your heart should not stay tainted always, so please help out Sakura-san in LeBlanc while I'm gone. It's enough kindness for you to help him out, since he wants to make sure his own daughter is proud of him despite his old-fashioned ways."_

"W-Why....." Futaba removed her glasses and wiped off tears.

_"Ryuji-senpai, Yusuke-senpai... we barely talked, but you guys are cool. Ryuji-senpai, I do wish that you will be a successful manager to whatever Kanji Tatsumi will offer you while making sure you keep Makoto-san and the baby given enough care to keep yourselves happy. I'm sorry I have to dig up about your past, but I'm sure you'll be a great father to a child that is not your own. For Yusuke-senpai, don't forget that we are your family. Even if I am not around, bring about your expressive nature and keep your art radiant for everyone to understand how you truly feel. Don't be shy about showing immense pain or overbearing joy; just be yourself for everyone and me."_

Ryuji and Yusuke looked down and fought tears. Morgan understood that he has no message from her since they never had a full interaction, so he instead paid attention to Sumire's message for Maruki, Haru, Akechi, and Ren.

_"Dr. Maruki, we met back then with a somewhat funny impression. But what caught my interest is that you couldn't move on from your past. I was like you as well, too busy focusing on the past and trying to force an answer out of it. But it made me realize that I've been forcing myself to be the coward more despite my effort to let you man up to Rumi-san and know that you're not an aggressively resentful person to her. Good luck to being a counselor even more, and thank you for helping me out."_

_"Haru-sama, I'm very sorry for leaving early. I know you invited me to have time with you later in Cafe Noir, but my family calls for me. I just want you to know that you have all the motherly love you could give in having your business, and it's written all over the cakes and drinks and atmosphere. I can even advertise the cafe in Okinawa, and if my plan works, maybe you'll consider opening a branch there soon so that it'll be a reminder that I helped you in the best way possible. Thank you for being my teacher this year, both in school and in life."_

_"Akechi-san, our conversations have been on and off... but our recent conversation managed to shed light into my thoughts. What you've done is unforgivable by most, but if you managed to surpass the doubters and haters, then why shouldn't I? In a way, I thank you for bringing some sense back into me... and I'm still sorry I kissed you back in Oro No Beko. Stay by Ren's side, and make sure he isn't up to no good again."_

_"Ren... I know things got very rocky last December until recently. And I know that our relationship was nothing but a farce. But that's only for you; for me, it felt real. Nobody ever fell in love for Classic, Clumsy Sumire. The twin who stays quiet, the twin who prefers to be lonely, the less-talented twin, or whatever negative labels I get from everyone. I still can't forgive you for breaking my heart in more ways than one... probably 28? I dunno... but I won't forget all those times we spent together, and whether I was Kasumi or myself... I'll keep those memories with me. I left the collage you made there in my room. Let it serve as a reminder that I'll never regret being your friend, your ex-girlfriend, or a family member you wished you had. Thank you for loving me, even if it wasn't sincere."_

In the train station, Ren and Akechi stood at the platform with no train around.

"We're too late..." Ren muttered with defeat.

"She's cunning, if I might say." Akechi said as he shook his head. He then saw Ren drop to his knees and cry. "Ren?"

"I'm so sorry, Sumire... I failed you so much..."

"Get up, Ren." Akechi couldn't stand to see his closest friend cry in public, but Ren's refusal made him know that he harbored feelings for Sumire the whole time.

"Imsorryimsorryimsorryimsorry.... I'm a fool for realizing it too late...."

"Get up. I'll go buy you something to calm you down."

In the train, Sumire looked at the phone and saw 15 missed calls. She sighed deeply and removed the notification to see a photo of her in LeBlanc. Figuring that Ren took the photo, she gave a weak smile and whispered to herself.

"Go on without me for now, guys... I'll be fine..."

She then closed her eyes and napped while Kasumi looked at her with a frown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sumire's time in Tokyo comes to an end for now. I know that it's sad, but Sumi has to do what she has to do...
> 
> It's sadder when they realized that she left five days before her birthday, which brings me to another hot take on Royal's ending........  
> ........ Ren left Tokyo on March 20, five days before Sumi's birthday. So why the hell couldn't he leave on the 25th and give Sumire a meaningful farewell/birthday gift? T.T Who agrees? (Even though PDA in Japan is not common.)
> 
> Stay alert for the penultimate chapter, "I Am Myself Once Again", where Sumire begins her grounded life and looks back at how things are different between being Sumire in Okinawa and being Kasumi in Tokyo!


	43. I Am Myself Once More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Sumire finishes her schooling and goes back home to Okinawa after leaving Ann and company a video of her thanking them for her time in Tokyo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter!
> 
> Me: This is the penultimate chapter.  
> Also me: Fuck it, we're adding one more chapter. Let's amp it up to 45!
> 
> Lezzgo!!

_"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to me! Happy birthday, Sumire and Kasumi!"_

Sumire sang as she remained awake on the eve of their birthday. Just a few days ago, the Yoshizawa family arrived home from Tokyo as Sumire re-adapts to her life in Okinawa. She remained quiet for the past days, avoiding interaction with anyone and cooping herself in her room. But tonight, she's baking a cake.

"I hope this will surprise her this time." She began talking to herself. "Being alone again isn't a good thing for me, anyway."

She checked the clock and saw that it's a minute before midnight.

"Crap! I gotta finish quick! Knowing Kasumi, she wakes up around 4 a.m...."

She then popped the batter into the oven and sighed in relief.

"Clutch!" She pumped her fist in the air as she noticed the lights in the hallway turning on. She scrambled to the bathroom and waited until the person would go away. Or at least, that's what she thought.

" _Sumire? You in there?_ "

"K-K-Kasumi?"

" _Can you please hurry up? I don't feel good._ "

Sumire's eyes widened and quickly jumped the gun.

"You're not pregnant, are you?"

" _What?! Hell no! Even if I wanted to, I don't have proper hip strength to hold a baby!_ " If Sumire could see through the door, she'd spot Kasumi blushing.

Sumire opens the door and sees her sister naked, meaning she was doing her own business.

"You were-"

"Zip it. I need to wash up already."

Sumire gave way to Kasumi and returns to the kitchen to wash the stuff she used. After a few minutes, she sees Kasumi exiting the bathroom.

"You used to be bashful in looking at naked girls, Sumire." Kasumi looked at her confused. "Why do you seem unfazed?"

Sumire, although she is clearly blushing, stared at her sister. "Would you be mad if I told you I had baths with Shiho-senpai and Ann-senpai?"

"Why would you-"

"Water bill." Sumire immediately answered.

"Oh. I guess I'll leave that in the back burner for now." Kasumi then looked at the oven, where the cake is still not risen. "Baking at this time?"

"Can you at least put some clothes on?" Sumire crossed her arms.

Kasumi then returned to her room and got dressed as she went back to Sumire.

"How long until that's done?"

"About an hour."

Silence filled the air for a few minutes. Kasumi then brought something up.

"How were things with Ren?"

Sumire bit her lip for a second. "I'm not ready to return to a relationship yet. The entire thing... it scarred me for life."

Kasumi held her tongue as Sumire continued.

"Had it been you who dated him, maybe things would have been easier."

"For me, but not for you." Kasumi glanced at her. "You can't always beat yourself up for it."

"But what else can I do to make Mom and Dad proud of me? They always praise you more since your success reaches international levels." Sumire vented. "Everyday, it's always you. On the news, from their mouths, from the mouths of others. I never get what I want, Kasumi, and you damn well know it."

Kasumi looked at her sister's expression carefully. A tranquil fury is written on her face, but so does an existing depressive aura.

"Still bothered, even after I declared my retirement?"

"Yeah. I'm never going to be as good as you."

Kasumi then watched Sumire mind her own business as she waits until the cake is done and goes back to sleep.

Later on that day, Kasumi's friends arrive to celebrate the birthday party. Sumire opted to stay alone, but Kasumi insisted on letting her join.

"These are your friends. Not mine."

"I know, but please join us downstairs..."

Sumire tried to ignore Kasumi's puppy eyes. But then she gave up and joined as her sister's friends began whispering to each other.

"Well, fuck you too." Sumire bluntly said as she went straight to the kitchen.

"That wasn't nice. Stupid bitch." Jiya Morigashi, Kasumi's best friend, muttered.

"Go easy on her, girls. She's been through a lot." Kasumi patiently told them, but they refused to listen.

"I heard she was close to death with her stunt by Tokyo Bay."

"Grr, why the hell did that guy even save her? That would have been-"

Sumire poured water on one of the gossiping girls' head.

"WAH!"

"Sorry. Did I scare you?"

"Why you little-"

Kasumi interjects between them. "Just go back to cooking, Sumire. You can go put headphones on, if you want."

"What's up with you?" Jiya snarled.

"Jiya, come on."

"Don't give me that bull! She tried to kill you last year, stole your identity for months and made herself successful, and now you're treating her like some spoiled puppy?"

Kasumi felt a nerve snap in her. "Jiya, I'm trying my best to not have a fight on our birthday. Please."

"Then tell your twin to fuck outta here and let us enjoy the day!"

The other friends then saw Sumire approach Jiya and pour an entire jug of juice onto her. Right on cue, Shinichi and Hanaki arrived home.

"Sumire!"

"Mr. and Mrs. Yoshizawa, your redheaded daughter is bullying me!"

"Coz you were bullying her!" Kasumi went defensive.

"When the hell did you sympathize with her?"

"I'm her fucking sister, you idiot!"

"You're being nice to her now because you're feeling sorry for her."

"Me and my parents are sorry for her! Sorry for her after we focused too much on my own success while discarding hers! Sorry for her after we put her through emotionally traumatizing shit! So do me a favor and apologize to her before things get worse."

Jiya spat on Kasumi's face as she called the others to leave the Yoshizawa household.

"If we see you in Okinawa National College, don't expect us to be very forgiving!"

"Fine by me! You deserve getting bent to hell anyway!" Kasumi yelled in anger. "Bitches and whores."

"We're gonna let that slide for now, Kasumi." Shinichi cleared his throat. "Meanwhile, we've decided to enroll you in Sundance University with the scholarship they reserved for you. After a few clarifications regarding Sumire's actions, of course."

"What were they saying about Sumire, Kasumi?"

"The same old stuff they used to say since high school." Sumire murmured as she went to grab the cake from the refrigerator. "Kasumi was like that, too. But you overlooked it anyway."

"Is this true, young woman?" Hanaki was unhappy with Kasumi after what happened.

"I just don't want to be a loner, okay?"

"Hey, don't worry about it." Sumire told her as she lets the cake down. "At least you and I are now in the same boat again."

"You're not a loner, Sumire." Kasumi frowned. "You still have everyone back in Tokyo."

"But I'm not in Tokyo anymore."

"For now, at least." Shinichi said as he noticed the cake. "This looks delicious."

"Thanks, I guess." Sumire replied, making her father frown in guilt.

"I'm sorry I neglected your cake years ago, Sumire."

"Don't apologize. It's not like I can make it again like before."

Kasumi bonked her head. "I call bullshit."

"Kasumi!" Hanaki chided her for the action and for the language.

"You think I didn't notice your social media?"

Sumire remained silent as Kasumi opened her app and showed her parents the cake.

"Sumire made this cake. She remade this after all these years and still won the competition."

Hanaki then realized something. "Shinichi, haven't we seen something like this back in Cafe Noir not too long ago?"

"You know what? I think we did. But it must have been-"

"Haru-sama told me that she'll be using my cake to help in her cafe's desserts sales. She decided to top it with different frosting and sweets to keep my cake design a copyright legend in her book." Sumire explained as she looked around. "Are we done? I'm not planning to eat this cake anyway. This is for Kasumi only, after all."

"Sumi-"

The doorbell rung and interrupted the family's conversation. Sumire walked to the door and opened to see a girl with jade eyes and a star on her vest.

"Good afternoon! My name is Hifumi Togo, and I am hoping this is the Yoshizawa residence."

"Togo? Like, the shogi player?" Hanaki asked.

"Indeed, it is me. Though mind if I can enter the house? It's so hot outside." Hifumi pleaded.

"Sure. Come on in." Sumire gestured her to enter as the girl said her thanks.

"Wow, is it someone's birthday?"

"Yeah. My birthday." Kasumi raised her hand before pointing her finger at Sumire. "And hers."

"Oh! Happy birthday to you both then!" Hifumi smiled as Sumire was caught off-guard.

"Um.. thank you?"

Kasumi shook her head with a smile and pats on the empty space. "Come sit here. We want to know why a famed shogi player is here in our home."

"Former famed shogi player." Hifumi corrected her. "After my father died of cancer while my mother committed suicide, I was raised by my grandparents here in Okinawa. Now that I'm capable of living on my own, I'm actually here to apply as Kasumi Yoshizawa's tutor."

"Tutor?"

Hifumi then showed her patch. "See this patch with the star?"

"Hey, that's Sundance University's logo!" Shinichi said in awe.

"Exactly. As Kasumi-chan's tutor, I can provide her help in her studies and teach her how to handle different situations that can occur during her stay here." She then remembered the girls from Okinawa National College that stormed off in fury. "I guess you can say that I'm asking her to be my friend in school as well."

Sumire smiled, remembering the time Ann met her in an awkward situation.

"Do you want to be friends with me as well, Sumire-chan?"

The redhead smirked gently. "Sure thing, Hifumi-senpai."

Hifumi blushed. "R-Right. I'm still not used to have 'senpai' as my honorific."

The family laughed along as Shinichi then stood up.

"Now for your presents." He then gave Kasumi a big gift while giving Sumire a small box.

"Why is mine big?"

"Coz you're the better twin."

"Sumire."

"Just saying."

"Well? Open them up. You don't want your new friend waiting now, don't you?" Hanaki urged the twins to open their gifts.

Kasumi ripped the wrapper and saw a new duffel bag that has two compartments: for her gym clothes and for her books. However...

"Hey, Togo-senpai?"

"Yes?"

"The school has lockers, right? Coz I'm not a fan of bringing an entire library."

Hifumi chuckled. "Of course, of course. I'll help you in that one too."

Sumire then opened hers and saw a necklace. Hifumi's eyes expanded with awe.

"That's the Morning Heart necklace! That's like 150,000 yen!"

"150,000 yen!?" Sumire was shocked about the price as she suddenly began comparing. "These are only 75,000 yen in Shibuya though."

"Oh, yeah. I remembered you were the twin who made headlines in Tokyo." Hifumi then tried to reverse Sumire's incoming frown. "But you are actually an inspiration for me!"

"Wait, what?"

"Say what?"

Hifumi began playing with her locks. "I was aware that Kasumi-chan here was hospitalized. In fact, I'm actually surprised you were as astonishing as her!"

Sumire shook her head. "I did it for Kasumi's sake, not mine."

"Even so, you still inspired me."

Hifumi's assertive words made Sumire give a weak smile. "Okay then."

Later on that evening, Sumire took selfies of herself with the necklace and uploaded it to her follower-less social media account. She sighed as she took it off and laid it next to her glasses.

"Another day of being Sumire again." She murmured as she drifted to sleep. After a short while, she felt cold and wakes up to find herself in Inokashira Park.

"Wait, why am I-"

A young girl with long red hair and polka-dotted pajamas approached her.

"Hello!"

"Um, hi?" Sumire then picked her glasses up and saw that the girl bears a striking resemblance to her. "Are you lost?"

"Nope! I'm actually exploring here."

"In your pajamas?" Sumire then saw her arm. She was wearing a purple coat with the letter S embroidered. "Hey, this is-"

"I wanna explore the whole park. Wanna join me?" The little girl asked kindly.

Sumire looked around to find the place empty. She took up the girl's offer and held her hand.

"Let's explore the park then."

"Yay!"

The two redheads then strut along the park as they look at the moon's reflection in the lake, the leaves bustling along the wind, and watching the fireflies fly in the air. The girl was surrounded by the fireflies and tried to touch them, but they transferred to Sumire, who was looking at them with awe.

"I like fireflies. You wouldn't believe how many fireflies will appear if I close my eyes." The girl said as she closed her eyes.

"It feels like I'm being hugged by these bugs." Sumire giggled as she closed her eyes as well. When both of them opened their eyes, they saw that more fireflies appeared.

"Wowwee!"

"Whoa!"

The fireflies then fly into the sky as the girl waved them goodbye.

"Bye-bye, fireflies!" She shouted. Sumire smiled at the girl's energy and spots a family of ducks by the lake.

"Look, lady! Ducks!" The girl pointed as she jumped with joy. Sumire crouched next to her then carries her to her shoulders.

"Whoa! I'm so tall now!" The girl's reaction made Sumire laugh.

"As tall as a giraffe."

The girl then looked at Sumire. "Do you know the story, "The Ugly Duckling"? I like the story."

Sumire glances at the girl. "Why do you like it?"

"The ugly duckling who was sad because the other ducks made fun of him became a beautiful duck in the end."

Sumire giggled and adjusted her shoulders. "The ugly duckling is actually a swan. It was being made fun of because he was different."

The girl stared at her dumbfoundedly. "Ohhhh. Am I different?"

Sumire looked at the girl with concern as she lifted her off her shoulders.

"Why do you say that?"

The girl began to frown. "People make fun of me because I'm not a fun girl. They mock my cakes, they call me weird, and... and..." The girl wept, prompting Sumire to comfort her.

"Hey, now. Don't believe what they say. You're pretty cool for me, kiddo."

The girl sniffed. "R-R-Really? Even if I'm not like them?"

"Yeah. People can call you weird, but for me... you're cool for me."

The girl kept the frown, forcing Sumire to think of an idea to cheer her up.

"Say, do you like to dance?"

The girl nods her head rapidly as Sumire smiled.

"Come on. Wanna dance with me?"

The girl watched Sumire put her phone down and play a funky song.

_Could you believe I could be different?_

_I'll be a difference, I'll lift you high_

_And I understand your hesitation_

_Our reputation is no surprise_

Sumire began to bust a few moves to cheer the girl up. After getting in sync with the rhythm, she managed to wow the girl as she mixed some gymnastic moves to her steppings.

_So let me redefine you, and you can see the tide move_

_Just like tears in your eyes do and when you're feeling alone_

_So baby I'll be right here_

_Between the sea and silence_

_So breathe easy my dear, you can find sunshine in the rain_

Sumire notices the girl joining her and begins to move her body slowly so both of them are in sync. The girl smiled as she caught up, allowing Sumire to dance back to her rhythm.

_I will come running when you call my name_

_Even a broken heart can beat again_

_Forget about the one that caused you pain_

_I swear I'll love you in a different way_

The two redheads then jived to the beat of the song and went crazy when the beat dropped for a while.

"Again!" The girl giggled as Sumire pats her head.

"It'll come back. Don't worry."

_I know that love is so unforgiving_

_You've been a victim too many times_

_And I'll be that friend_

_Hold you together, I'll be forever_

_Will you be mine?_

Sumire holds the girl's hand and attempts to do a partnered dance. Both however were clumsy and fell on their butt, making them laugh it off.

_So let me redefine you, and you can see the tide move_

_Just like tears in your eyes do and when you're feeling alone_

_So baby I'll be right here_

_Between the sea and silence_

_So breathe easy my dear, you can find sunshine in the rain_

"Hey, can you catch up to my speed?" Sumire asked.

"Maybe. Will you be too fast?" The girl inquired.

"Not really."

"Okay."

_I will come running when you call my name_

_Even a broken heart can beat again_

_Forget about the one that caused you pain_

_I swear I'll love you in a different way_

_I swear I'll love you in a different way_

The two danced carefully and went freestyle as the beat drops again, but now Sumire moves quickly as the girl shocking copied her speed. She made a graceful skip with the girl skipping as well. Although she had her hands open, the girl's were more intimidating as she just points at nothing with a wide smile and a funny sound.

"HIYAH!"

Sumire then ruffled her hair and tapped her cheek for a second. She then removes her glasses and puts on the girl.

"You look cuter than ever, little girl."

The girl then felt the glasses in her face as Sumire turned around to keep her phone, but dropped it accidentally.

"Hey, do you want to go somewhere else?" Sumire called the girl as she reached for her phone. However, the girl didn't respond. "Hello?"

Sumire turned around and looked in awe. The girl is nowhere in sight; in her place is another Sumire, but with the same polka-dot pajamas the girl wore earlier.

"What the -"

**"I'm glad you finally learned something, Sumire."**

Sumire cautiously approached the figure. "Are you... me?"

**"Yes. The side of me you never loved."**

"But then why-"

**"Am I wearing this? Had it not occurred to you that the girl you had fun with was yourself?"**

Sumire gasped at the realization. She then remembered wearing those pajamas when she made Shinichi's cake years ago in her first attempt to show her skills, where her depression began.

**"All it needed was you to love yourself more than wanting others to love you."**

Sumire's eyes began to water as she confronted her inner self.

"Did I not love myself enough?"

**"Unfortunately, you have not. You sunk into a depressive state ever since that day, and since then... you forgot to be proud of yourself."**

Sumire wipes her tears off. "But everything-"

**"Everything that you've done was all out of impression without making yourself happy or putting your name with natural pride. It was all for the Kasumi comparisons, right?"**

Sumire sat at the bench and covered her face to cry. The girl/other Sumire approached her and sat next to her.

**"Tell me what you really want."**

Sumire used the jacket to wipe a lot of tears. "I just wanted everyone to like me for who I am. Not because I'm a Yoshizawa or Kasumi's younger sister or whatever. I'm my own person with my own dreams and goals."

**"Then tell me why we're here."**

Sumire couldn't give her a clear answer. Being in a cognitive Inokashira Park is completely different from the real version.

"I... I used to see this place as my meditation spot."

**"Go on."**

"Whenever I'm here, I feel at peace. Like I am free to express myself without anyone judging."

**"Now you know why it's at night."**

Sumire nods as she looked at her other self.

**"What we just did now wasn't forced. You did your best to keep the atmosphere alright, cheered me up when I felt down, and made me enjoy what we just did. It was all on you."**

Sumire just stared at her, who then stared back at her.

**"Kasumi has her unique traits, and so do you. You're the better cook, she's the better athlete. You're kinder and braver than she is despite her confidence and strength. You didn't just gain friends for your actions and thoughts; you gained a family from a group of people who share similarities with you."**

Sumire then opened her mouth. "All I just need is to accept who I am as well?"

**"No need to prove anything to anyone. If they like you, then good. If they don't, eh screw them."**

Sumire then hugged the other Sumire, who then hugged her back. Sumire then felt fireflies hovering around them as her hug was suddenly loose. She opened her eyes and saw that her other self became her younger self again.

"Promise me you'll keep me in your heart?"

Sumire nods with a smile. "Of course. You are me, after all, and my heart will always be your home."

The girl hugged her one last time before everything faded to black.

Sumire then woke up with a smile on her face. Looking at the clock, she went downstairs and began cooking breakfast. Kasumi was the first to wake up as she saw her sister smiling.

"Sumire?"

"Oh, hey. You're up! You want pancakes or a breakfast bento?"

"Uh, pancakes?"

Sumire then grabbed the pancake box for Kasumi and begins cooking more stuff. Her parents followed suit in waking up and saw how busy Sumire got.

"Sumire? What's the occasion?" Hanaki asked her.

"Well, I have to make up for what I did yesterday. So I made you guys breakfast." She frowned for a bit. "And I want to talk to you about everything."

Shinichi hummed as he sat down. "Don't worry about it. We have all day to hear you out."

After preparing their food on the table, Sumire then began to tell how her depression began. She recalled every account where she had morbid thoughts or morbid actions that failed as it put her into despair until the accident. Kasumi carefully listened without any judgment this time as Sumire entered the time she began posing as the brunette twin.

Now that they have heard her side of the troubles, Shinichi and Hanaki made the decision of making sure her doing housework and errands for one whole year until she gets to return to Tokyo will be worth it.

"Wait, how?" Sumire quirked her eyebrows. Shinichi then slid an envelope to her, but gave her a warning.

"Don't open it until Christmas."

"Understood, Dad." Sumire stood up and hugged Shinichi. "I'm so sorry."

Hanaki hugged Sumire. "No, we're more sorry than you are."

"I'm more sorry than all of you." Kasumi joined in, creating a group hug instead.

"Welcome home, Sumire."

For the next few months, Kasumi began studying education in Sundance University. Apparently, she used her scholarship and will still perform local gymnastics instead of going international again. Sumire, on the other hand, settled in getting three part-time jobs: one as a florist, another as a waitress, and lastly as a coach for a Little League baseball team. Even with the summer, Sumire anticipated that no one from Tokyo would visit her due to how busy they are. Removing the thought of 'no one cares', she carried on with her life in Okinawa for now while studying on her own the entire prospectus of the University of East Shinjuku's Hotel and Restaurant Management course. On her off-days, she would spend time playing shogi with Hifumi or teaching Kasumi how to play video games. Though her learnings from Tokyo have been applied in Okinawa, things were not the same without them.

"So what are we gonna do today? The beach is clearly crowded, and the malls are filled with people desperate for cold air." Hifumi pouted.

"I know. But then again, I still gotta do rehab with this damn hip." Kasumi grunted as Sumire fanned herself.

"It can't get any worse." She checked her phone to see that her follower count in social media went from 0 to 4,000, and that her notifications involved 15,000 likes from the 185 photos she posted. "What the- How did I get this many followers?!"

Kasumi whistled as Hifumi giggled. "Some people still like you despite everything, you know."

"I get that, but 4,000?! I'm not even as famous as Risette or... or... Ann Takamaki!"

Kasumi yawned. "Maybe, but all those viral crap you did gave you fame. I honestly said online that I have no guts to even do those things... especially that damned dance."

Sumire shook her head and continued to check her photos as Kasumi looked at her with a wide grin.

It won't be long until December arrives, for whatever is on the envelope Shinichi gave to Sumire is going to be a good thing for her.

**_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**

**BONUS ART:** Sumire and young Sumire (I find this one of the most wholesome shit I've ever drawn... and impromptu as well!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter, right? Sorry about that. And this might be tiresome to read, so thanks for bearing with the very long chapter.
> 
> Anyways, get ready for the next chapter, "Standing On My Own", as Sumire finally knows what is in the envelope and prepares herself for her return to Tokyo!


	44. Standing On My Own

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Sumire finally makes up with Kasumi and her parents as well as accepting herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may be a very long chapter, so bear with the length lol
> 
> Anyways, I still have one chapter to deal with, and it will focus on Sumire on her path to independence and Ren on his path to redemption. So technically, the next chapter will be the longest I might write as it takes place in a span of years.
> 
> With that said, time for the penultimate!

It has been a year since Sumire took over Kasumi's identity and gave her many recognitions at the cost of her own life. Now, Sumire just looks idly at the falling snow going down as Kasumi arrived home from school.

"Ugh, second semester is so stressful! Especially that damn Kashiwagi blabbering about bullshit again." Kasumi began venting. "Doesn't she know that she isn't MILF-material!?"

Sumire giggled at the sound of it. "Well, she can't do anything to you if you tell her that."

Kasumi then launched herself to the couch and groaned.

"Do I really have to be enduring more years of this?" She whined as Sumire pats her head.

"There, there." She then asked how was her tutorial sessions with Hifumi.

"Well, we ended up trying to cosplay as witches and ninjas for no apparent reason instead of actually studying for the Finals."

Sumire shook her head with a smile. "You know you're gonna spend more years in college if you don't pass the exams."

Kasumi grabbed a white cloth and waved it in surrender.

"No more school please...."

Shinichi and Hanaki then arrive home to see their brunette daughter in despair.

"Everything alright in school, Kasumi?" Hanaki asked. Kasumi only whined in response.

"Seems like school is already taking a toll on you." Shinichi laughed as they set up their dinner.

"Oh, already?" Sumire looked at the time and grabbed her jacket. Kasumi then looked at her, then the clock.

"Oh, shit! You're gonna be late!"

Sumire grabs her bento and greeted her family farewell as she rushes to her waitress job in the seaside restaurant. Kasumi then looked at her parents.

"You know, I still wonder what is inside that envelope until now."

Shinichi chuckled. "She'll open it when she's ready, and we'll know about it soon enough."

In Wakanaka GrillHaus, Sumire is doing a wonderful job in serving the food and taking down orders as she casually pranced around the restaurant. Despite her reputation as an identity thief, Sumire is well-praised by staff and customers for her diligence and compromise. As the night grew longer, Sumire takes a quick break in the kitchen as a young woman approached her.

"Excellent work, Yoshizawa-san! I still can't believe it's been 7 months since we hired you under your sister's insistence." She cheered.

Sumire, rather than thanking her, shook her head and looked up. "It's all for the family, Okami-san. Nothing too special from me."

"Oh, hush. There you go again, discrediting yourself. But I suppose I can accept it as humility as well."

Sumire then stood up and puts on her ribbon. "Right! Back to work!"

She then went to the dining hall to continue serving the customers until closing time. However, before Sumire can call it an evening...

"Yo! Is this still open?!"

_That voice..._

"Hey! Be polite to the staff, Ryuji! They may be closing, so best if we ask them politely."

_It can't be...._

"Come on, Makoto! Give me a break... I've been finding us a place to eat for the last two hours!"

"I know. It's just Hamuko won't stop crying."

Sumire turned around to see Ryuji and Makoto outside the restaurant. In Makoto's arms happens to be her daughter, the one that is not Ryuji's. She looked at Okami and the staff, who just shrugged their shoulders as one more customer means more work to do. She rushed to the door and tackled Ryuji.

"Ryuji-senpai!"

"Wha- GAH!"

"Sumire-chan?"

Luckily, Ryuji caught Sumire from her pounce and instead withstood her bearhug.

"H-Hey, Sumire! It's been so long!"

Sumire couldn't stop the tears from flowing down her eyes. It has been months since she last saw a friend or two.

"You guys hungry? We're still open for one more table." She lets go of Ryuji and flashes a teary smile.

"Uh, does crying to your customers count as a hard sell?" Ryuji dumbfoundedly said as Sumire quickly wiped her tears off.

"Sorry! Come on in!"

Makoto and Ryuji then enter the restaurant and finds a table for three. Makoto then places Hamuko down to the third chair and picks up a menu.

"Man, who knew we'd run into you!" Ryuji sports his usual grin before frowning. "But seriously, you had to do work while being grounded, huh?"

Sumire frowned, but shook her head with a smile. "Don't worry. I'll be back soon. I just need to wait until March and then we're good to go!"

Makoto smiled. "At the very least, it's glad that we finally know someone around here."

Sumire then looked at the baby and approached her. "Aw, how cute!"

"Y-Yeah. Well, even if Ryuji isn't the biological father, he's doing a good job at being a dad." Makoto sheepishly said.

"You really gotta make things awkward, huh? But no worries."

Sumire flashed a mischievous grin, something both Makoto and Ryuji only saw when she was 'Kasumi'.

"You could go for it now as if it were your Christmas gift to her, Ryuji-senpai."

"What?!"

"Sumire-chan!"

Both of them blushed as Sumire giggled and asked for their order. She predicted their meals correctly: Ryuji would go for a grilled wagyu beef steak while Makoto would stick with the tuna salad and chopped potatoes. As she went to the kitchen to announce, Ryuji and Makoto couldn't stop smiling as she returned.

"It has been quite a while. We apologize if we haven't had contact with you for months." Makoto apologized.

"Don't worry. I've been fine." Sumire responded.

"Uh, you left us heartbroken and crying in Ann's condominium." Ryuji began. "We felt really depressed when you left us behind after all we had planned."

Sumire frowned at the sound of it. "I'm sorry. It's just that my family wanted to rush things and make sure Kasumi gets enrolled immediately."

"But... You never gave us a proper goodbye, you know? We-"

"Treated me like family." Sumire's eyes went sullen. "I know."

Ryuji stopped talking as he apologized to Sumire. Makoto pats her shoulder and speaks to Sumire.

"Since you have said you've been fine, we wouldn't mind hearing some of your progress here in Okinawa."

Sumire gave a short smile before hearing the bell ding. With lightning speed, she took off and grabbed the food before returning and serving them to Ryuji and Makoto.

"Holy shit, that was fast!" Ryuji said as he smelled the beef steak. "Damn, this smells good!"

Makoto sniffed the fod and smiled as well. "I agree with Ryuji. The food does have a wonderful aroma to it."

"Enjoy the meal!" Sumire announced as Ryuji and Makoto dug in. Makoto then begins chopping and mashing the potatoes to feed their baby while Ryuji suddenly takes photos of them. Sumire giggled as she remembered the time she was fed like that. Shaking her head, she looks at them as they enjoy themselves.

"What a wonderful family." She muttered as Ryuji suddenly grabs a seat.

"Come on, Sumire! Sit with us!"

Sumire looked at Okami, who just gave her a thumbs up, and accepts Ryuji's offer.

Meanwhile in Tokyo, Sojiro arrives back in LeBlanc and finds the place closed already. He knows this too well and unlocks the cafe with his own keys. He then notices Ren slumped by the stairwell with three bottles of rum.

Sojiro groaned. "Again, kid? Give me a break." He grabs a glass of water and splashes it onto Ren, who is jolted up from the water.

"I'm up!"

Sojiro shook his head and turned the lights on.

"Damnit, Ren. How long are you going to be like this?"

Ren groggily stands up and checks one of the bottles. Sojiro grabs the one with rum left and begins lecturing him.

"Now keep in mind that this is all your fault in the first place. Even if you only gave her ONE compensation date for her to forgive you, it was only a matter of time until she was forced back home."

Ren grabbed the bottle and chugged down the rum. After burping, he talks.

"I know, so can I please drown at my misery?"

"Hell no." Sojiro grabs the bottle again. "You need to let go, Ren. She may be both your blessing and your curse, but you can't just submit yourself for it."

Ren ignores Sojiro as he continued.

"For now, maybe Sumire-chan won't be back until who knows when. Then maybe after a few years, you two can see each other again."

"With her having a better husband, of course." Ren murmured. "She was in pain and I fucking took advantage of it. I knew the truth, and I played with it."

Sojiro hummed and drags him up to the attic.

"Come on now. Maruki is gonna come here tomorrow with your stuff. Getting drunk and depressed won't help you much in life, okay?"

Sojiro then noticed Ren passed out again. SIghing in defeat, he puts him by the couch and heads back downstairs. He then notices a photo of Sumire and smiles.

"If you stayed longer, you could've been a better employee. Heh."

Pinning the photo by shelf, he cleans up the place and closes it again.

"For real!? A famous shogi player!?"

"Ex-shogi player."

"Hifumi Togo, huh? I haven't heard that name in a while."

Ryuji, Makoto, and Sumire continue to talk while the staff can only watch. It has been the first time they have seen Sumire smile, after all.

"We managed to introduce her to a few new things."

"Oh, no. Please don't tell me Futaba has influenced you entirely."

"N-No! I just discovered it on my own, okay?"

"I dunno. Sounds kinda sus."

"It isn't!"

Sumire blushing became a familiar yet heartwarming sight for the couple as they hugged her again.

"I know we should talk more, but we have a hotel to go back to."

"I know. It's okay. Ain't that right, baby Hamuko?"

The baby just blew a bubble from her mouth and laughed. Makoto hung her head in shame.

"How come I fail to make her happy?"

"Maybe you just need to ease up and be free. Creativity and enthusiasm is the key to cheering people up, you know."

Ryuji and Makoto blinked at what Sumire said to them.

"What the f-"

"That was.... enriching."

Sumire looked at the two. "What?"

"Oh, uh, nothing! It's just..."

"... you're not being shy anymore. It's like a whole new you."

"Oh. That's good, right?"

Makoto hummed as she reached for her wallet. Suddenly, Okami yelled from the kitchen.

"On the house!"

"WHAT!?" Ryuji was shocked.

"Your payment over here is making our cute lil waitress smile naturally. Been a long time we saw her show those pearly whites to people without the obligation to!"

"A-A-Are you sure?" Makoto asked in bafflement.

"Of course! Her daddy is gonna give her a shitload of cash anyway and- Oops."

"Huh? What about my dad?" Sumire caught Okami's words.

"Uh, nothin'! I'm just guessing!" She attempted to throw Sumire off the trail.

"Okay." Sumire then remembered something. "Oh, I forgot!"

She pulls both Ryuji and Makoto (holding Hamuko) and aligns them to the decorated wall. The redhead then pulls her phone out and opens the camera.

"Say 'Wakanaka'!"

"WAKANAKA!"

Sumire takes two shots and hugs them again. She gave a forehead kiss to the baby and mutters something.

"Be a good girl to your mom and dad, okay?"

The couple then bids Sumire farewell as the restaurant is then closed. Ryuji looked at Makoto and the restaurant.

"You heard what Sumire said?"

"Yeah."

Ryuji stopped walking. Makoto turned around to find him suddenly kneeling with a box in his hands.

"I, uh, ain't good with words... so will you, like, marry me?"

Arriving home, Sumire immediately slept on the living room instead of her bedroom. Kasumi finds her snoring already and checks her social media. Sumire was tagged by Makoto in her latest post with a photo: **Finally getting hitched thanks to the pep talk of @VictoriousViolet325!**

"It's a good thing you guys saw each other. No fucking way would you snore with a smile."

She then carried Sumire and brought her to her room. She then checked her calendar to realize that the next week is already Christmas.

"Well, what do you know? Looks like we'll know your surprise soon, Sumire." Kasumi slept next to her instead of returning to her room.

One week later, and it's already Christmas Eve. Sumire began baking holiday cookies while Kasumi invited Hifumi to help them with the decorations while Shinichi and Hanaki are out buying food and last-second gifts. While Sumire is taking a break, she checks her phone and sees a notification in her social media. Opening it, it was Makoto's post with a few comments.

" **Finally getting hitched thanks to the pep talk of @VictoriousViolet325!**

_**AmSmolFutab: WHAAAAAAAAT!?** _

_**ForeignBeauty: OMG CONGRATS!!** _

_**shiho_suzui: No effing way!! You guys met up with Sumire?!** _

_**amannamedinari: Such wonderful news for the holidays. Quite contradictory compared to last year.** _

_**AmSmolFutab: Don't say stuff like that, Inari!** _

_**s_c_a_r_l_e_t_b_l_o_s_s_o_m: Glad my sister helped you two again.** _

_**shiho_suzui: Kasumi!**_ "

Sumire then frowned a bit over the events of last year. How she was shamed by Kasumi, how her lies were exposed against her will, how Ren manipulated her all this time. But even then, she glanced at Kasumi who just fell off a chair after failing to decorate the walls properly while Hifumi just giggled. She already made amends with her family already, so why is it that something feels off?

After a while, Hifumi goes back home to her grandparents to celebrate the holidays with them. After Kasumi guided the former shogi player back to her home, Sumire finished baking and prepared it on the table.

"It's been a while since you were so eager and active on a holiday." Kasumi smirked as she entered the house.

"Well, no more of you guys shitting on me. Obviously." Sumire retorted.

Kasumi frowned. "Yeah. I'm still sorry about that."

"Didn't I open up already and had you all forgiven?"

"But not Ren, right?"

Kasumi popped open a hornet's nest by saying that. Sumire stopped in her tracks and bit her lip.

"I... I don't know if he's still the same person, Kasumi." She muttered. "I just wish-"

"We're home!" Shinichi announced as Hanaki rushed to the table.

"And here's the food! It's so fucking hot!"

The twins looked at their mother, who rarely curses at all. "What?"

"Kasumi, is it me or does Mom swear a lot?"

"Not as much as we do, Sumire."

"Hey! It was hot!"

"And you said the F bomb. When we say the F bomb, you'd ground us." Kasumi playfully retorted. Hanaki rolled her eyes in response.

"Whatever, kids."

Shinichi then looked at the clock. "It's almost midnight. Let's go check on the TV to see what's going on?"

Sumire nods and turns the TV on to find the latest episode of the Phoenix Rangers Neo Featherman remake. She gives off a smile as she saw Ann as Pink Argus battling against Purple Albatross, who is played by Yukari Takeba- the original Pink Argus.

_"It can't be.... Tsunade-san?!"_

_"I'm sorry, Miyako..."_

_"Wait! Damnit."_

Sumire noticed Kasumi's jaw drop while watching as she began ranting.

"Are you fucking kidding me!? The original Pink Argus was Purple Albatross the whole time!? I was deceived! I didn't recognize Yukari Takeba under that disguise at all!"

"Me either. I was assuming she'd be around 26 years old, since Ann-senpai and her crew are around 20 to 22 years old."

"Yukari is like, what? 30!? Come on! They could have gotten a better actress if they wanted a twist, but now they pull off a bigger twist!?"

Sumire can only laugh as Kasumi continued her ranting. Shinichi snapped her out of the ranting afterwards and adviced Sumire to change the channel. She does so and sees Reika Higashikita win the Interschool Winter Gymnastics in Tokyo.

"As expected of Kasumi's replacement in the Olympics."

_"Miss Higashikita, you managed to draw another win despite your recent Olympic achievement. Last year, Sumire Yoshizawa won against you under the guise of her twin Kasumi. Anything to say about it?"_

Sumire anticipated a grudge comment, but her eyes widened as Reika spoke.

_"Honestly, I will not say anything derogatory towards her. In fact, she is quite an intriguing character despite the disguise. More creative than her twin, to say the least. Sumire Yoshizawa, if you are still in the mood to perform gymnastics.... I'll be waiting."_

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M LESS CREATIVE!?" Kasumi was furious and looked at Sumire. "Please tell me I'm creative."

"Honestly, Kasumi, you seem to lack creativity."

"Mom!"

"Now that I think about it, was it Sumire who made your art assignments back then?"

"Not you too, Dad!" Kasumi shook her head. "Next channel!"

Sumire changed it, where she sees Haru on the news talking about the success of Cafe Noir.

_"Miss Okumura, with the breakout success of your cafe franchise, do you plan on expanding it to other cities or will you risk it by going international?"_

_"Honestly, I have a good friend whom I have promised to help someday. Even if she did verbally advertise my cafe, I'd love to return the favor to her soon. So with that said, I'm planning to go local first and, with much hope, expand further after a series of reviews."_

"I'm not gonna lie, but their cakes are so delicious."

"Don't forget the blends, Hanaki. She sure knows how to brew them like an expert."

"Shame her father had to go under the table to build his success instead of going from the bottom to the top."

Sumire's ears twitched as she heard their conversation. Apparently, she must be the only one who didn't know about Okumura Foods' controversy prior to meeting Haru.

_Huh. Maybe I was a bit too isolated, I guess._

Suddenly, a knock on the door was heard as Kasumi approached it. When she opened it, however...

"Akechi-san!?"

"Good evening. Mind if I come in?"

Akechi's sudden appearance caught the family off-guard. What was more interesting is that Akechi is not wearing any detective uniform; instead, he is wearing a Christmas sweater.

"Merry Christmas to you all," was what he said as he entered.

"Wha- What are you doing here, Akechi-san?" Sumire asked with bewilderment.

"Simply put, I want to spend the Christmas season with you. Though I'm sorry if I may have intruded."

"No, it's okay. We always have room for more tonight." Shinichi shook off the uneasiness from Akechi.

"Ah, wonderful."

Before he went further, Sumire pulls him arm and whispered.

"You're not putting up an act, right? You can be pretty scary sometimes."

"Really? How so?"

"Like how you knew where I live?!"

Akechi chuckled. "My apologies. I just asked the locals, not the police." He then looked around the house after sitting down. "To think that your fame and wealth did not garner you a mansion, Yoshizawa-san."

"We prefer to remain humble. We don't want to lavish ourselves in stuff that may taint us entirely." Shinichi replied while looking at Kasumi and Sumire.

"Your daughters say otherwise, though." Akechi murmured. "But I suppose fame can come one way or another."

The clock finally struck midnight as everyone then chanted altogether.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

Sumire then reveals the cake she baked while Hanaki and Kasumi opened the food packs to show an extravagant set of meals.

"Well, not bad." Akechi spoke with astonishment as he eyed on the turkey. "Dibs on the wings and thighs!"

"Hey, no fair! Pick one part only!" Kasumi chided him.

"In that case, the turkey breast is mine!" Sumire jeered.

"Sumire! Your boobs have grown already. Do me a favor and give me the breast!"

Shinichi cleared his throat to snap them out.

"What did I say about body talk?"

"Sorry, Dad." Kasumi shrunk to her seat as Akechi accidentally spills his inner pervert.

"To be fair, Kasumi-san, you have quite the figure to go along with the hips and butt."

"What?!"

"What?"

Akechi realized what he said and slapped himself. "Damnit, I spent too much time with Sakamoto and Kitagawa."

Shinichi instead shook his head while Hanaki began teasing Kasumi.

"Well, if Amamiya is going to be with Sumire soon, maybe you can have Akechi instead."

Kasumi blushed red as Akechi raised his brows. Sumire cleared her throat and began to say grace before slicing the cake.....

.

.

.

...... until Akechi spoiled something.

"By the way, who owns those motorcycles by the parking lot across?"

"Oh, no." Hanaki murmured.

"MOTORCYCLES!?" The twins yelled in unison as they suddenly rush to look out the window.

"No way! The Tomoko Thunderbird 51!" Kasumi screeched with glee.

"Marley-Robinson R66! Awesome!" Sumire gazed at the American motorcycle.

"Can we please continue eating?" Shinichi glared at Akechi for the spoiler.

"Whoops."

The girls returned to the table and dined along with Akechi. Due to his upbringing, Akechi remained too quiet.

"Is something wrong, Akechi-san?" Sumire looked at him.

"N-No! Not really." Akechi then looked at all of them. "To be honest, this is the first Christmas I'm spending with a complete family. Normally, I'd spend Christmas with Ren and the Sakuras or with Sakamoto and Kitagawa...."

"Where are your parents, Akechi-san? If you don't mind me asking." Hanaki asked.

".... I'm an orphan."

Everyone went quiet. Sumire spoke up immediately to release the awkward air.

"Um, you can consider us as your family! Kinda like how you considered me as a member of a-"

"Family of misfits." Akechi chuckled. "Ren kinda rubbed you a lot, huh?"

Sumire blushed intensely as Akechi again realized what he said. "Ah, I should stay away from Ryuji for a while."

Kasumi laughed. "Best if you could. With how vulgar he could be..."

Sumire shook her head and stood up. "Presents time! Well, aside from the motorcycles outside, that is."

By instant, Shinichi gives Akechi an envelope containing 100,000 yen.

"Sorry if this is your gift from us, Akechi-san. But you can use it to buy whatever you like."

Sumire smirked slyly. "Give me 20 minutes."

Everyone was confused as to what she had in mind. 20 minutes later, and she returned with a plate full of pancakes and a small adventurer's bag.

"Merry Christmas, Akechi-san! I was planning to give you this when I return, but I guess you're getting it now."

Akechi accepted the bag and checked it out.

"Not bad. Would actually give me a break from carrying that briefcase all the time."

Later that night, the Yoshizawa relatives arrived to spend Christmas with them. They were surprised that Akechi, the Detective Prince, is joining them, and much to his chagrin. Sumire avoided contact with her relatives to enjoy the snow falling down in the cold winter night. Kasumi slowly sneaks up on her.

"Konichi-"

"Don't you effing dare, Kasumi."

"Killjoy."

Sumire smirked as Kasumi joins her. The brunette then notices the redhead holding the envelope.

"You gonna open it or what?"

"I dunno. I feel antsy."

Kasumi shook her head with a smile. "Can't hurt to try."

Sumire then slowly opened the envelope and looked at it. There was a cheque, a letter, and a ring.

"A ring?" She then looked at the ring closer. "The Diamante!"

"Diamante?"

"I forgot which country has that translation for 'diamond', but holy moly!" Sumire puts on the ring to pair with her Morning Heart necklace. Kasumi took a peek in the cheque and yelled from the top of her lungs.

"750,000 yen!?"

Sumire's jaw dropped as some of their cousins rushed to see what's going on. Sumire then looked at the letter and opened it.

_To our dearest Sumire,_

_As your parents, we wanted what was best for you. But it seems that we have been too negligent of your true needs and pressured you to be like Kasumi. As something to make up for everything we have done to affect you physically, mentally, and emotionally, we have decided to make you permanently live in Tokyo on your own accord. With this letter is a cheque worth 750,000 yen... good enough for you to either save in your mother's bank (well, the Tokyo branch, that is.) or spend it on something valuable to you. And don't worry about Kasumi, she plans on staying in Okinawa with us as I am retiring when she finishes college. I don't know about your mother, though; maybe she wants to retire a grandma already. Anyways, attached to this letter is another scholarship offer as signed by Yu Narukami and Mitsuru Kirijo. It may not be the gymnastics one, but they have offered this to me on the day we were leaving Tokyo. The last item in this envelope is a ring, one where you can either sell for money or cherish its value._

_We know that this is too much to offer along with our Christmas gifts, but we hope this is enough for us to apologize for everything... to apologize for what Kasumi may have put you through as well. We may not be perfect parents to you, but do know that we'll do everything from now on to make you proud of us in our own way. We'll be proud of you in your path this time, whether you want to follow Kasumi's footsteps after she retired, or you being a chef or top cook of all of Japan, or even being a mother to our future grandchildren. No matter what will happen, we'll be there for you._

_With much love, your family_

Sumire wept after reading the letter and hugged Kasumi tightly. Rather than protesting about how tight her hug is, Kasumi hugs her back as Akechi rushed upstairs and finds a wonderful sight instead.

In Tokyo, Sojiro and Futaba look at Ren, who is still stressed out and down.

"Come on, Ren. It's Christmas!" Futaba encouraged him to move.

"Sorry, Futaba. I'm too busy with some clients and I don't have any motivation to celebrate at all." He spoke with a down tone.

"She'll be back before you know it! Just trust us!"

"Like how she trusted me?!" Futaba flinched at Ren's outburst while Sojiro remained silent. "It's hopeless."

"Kid, you're hopeless. Even until now, you lack faith in her."

Ren stopped typing on his laptop and looked at Sojiro.

"If you really do care, you better make every second count this time. Not as a logical person, not as a delinquent, but as yourself. Show her the real you. The hesitant yet charismatic you."

Ren then continued typing.

"Merry Christmas. Now please go back downstairs."

Sojiro noticed the change in tone and shook his head.

"This is why you don't have a lady in your life, Ren."

"So I've been told."

Futaba left her gift to him on the table next to the stairs.

"VictoriousViolet325. I don't need to tell you any further."

She and Sojiro then went downstairs as Ren looked at the gifts already piled up by the corner. Sighing in defeat, he stops typing and begins to open the presents. He notices one of them being a mailing parcel and opens it immediately to find a journal with a note.

_Keep moving forward, Ren-senpai. You don't need me to be successful in your career. :)_

"But I couldn't earn your forgiveness... or apologize enough to you..." Ren slumped to the floor and cried. From downstairs, Futaba warily looked at Sojiro.

"I wonder what's he crying for. Did Ryuji give him another porn magazine?"

Sojiro smirked. "Who knows, Futaba? Who knows...."

March has arrived, and Sumire was already packing her stuff with Hifumi's help.

"We're gonna miss you here, Sumire-chan." She spoke with a sad tone.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I can go home at any time, since I don't have any form of employment yet."

"Ehem. LeBlanc Cafe, remember?"

Kasumi barged in as she tosses Sumire three hair ribbons.

"In case you need them."

Sumire gave a weak smile and said her thanks as she finished putting the last shirt inside.

"It's gonna be pretty lonely here without you, Sumire." Kasumi frowned.

"I'm still gonna visit, you know. I intentionally left a few stuff here so that I can feel at home." She pointed out a few clothes, bedsheets, and other items in her room.

"I know, but still...."

Sumire gave her a big hug as she hears Shinichi calling her out.

"Time to go, Sumire!"

"Coming!"

Kasumi and Hifumi helped her with the luggage this time as they boarded the taxi to the train station while the twins rode on their motorcycles. Upon arrival, her parents gave her sad smiles as she bids them farewell and gives them hugs.

"Don't forget to visit during the breaks, okay?" Hanaki somberly said.

"I will. Don't worry."

Sumire then turned to Kasumi and Hifumi. "We'll have fun at the beach this summer, so better start working out to outshine me!"

Hifumi chuckled. "Oh, it is on!"

"Not if I have something to say!" Kasumi accepted the challenge and laughed.

The twins gave one last hug.

"Take care of yourself now, Sumire." Kasumi cried.

"I love you too, Kasumi. Be strong for Mom and Dad, okay?" Sumire wept.

The two released the embrace as Sumire enters the train. Taking one last look back, she sees a few people behind her family greeting her farewell as well. Smiling upon entry, she mutters to herself after finding her designated cabin.

"I'm coming home."

Shinichi then noticed Sumire's motorcycle parked by the rear car of the train.

"I really wish I didn't pay 50,000 yen for vehicle transport."

Kasumi laughed as the train began moving. "Don't worry, Dad. At least she won't join a biker gang or whatever."

"Funny. I don't remember having 50,000 yen with me." Hifumi quoted as she fished out the money from her vest. The cash was wrapped around a piece of paper that had a message.

_Giving you my earnings from the florist job and waitress job. I researched ahead on vehicular fees. Your welcome :)_

"That sly little... Good luck, Sumire." Kasumi said as Shinichi pocketed the payment and called out Hanaki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 750,000 yen... a highly-expensive diamond ring... the motorcycle... man, Sumire is gonna be having a life in Tokyo alright. The question is: where will she go from there? And what will happen once she meets up with Ren?
> 
> Stay tuned on Monday for the finale, "Second Chances", as Sumire and Ren reunite and try to restart their relationship and regain their trust to each other!
> 
> (BTW, what's the difference between User Subscription and Subscription? I lost 2 U.S. but the Subscription count remained as is.)


	45. Second Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Identity Thief:
> 
> Sumire opens the letter on Christmas to reveal that she now has the liberty to live her own life in Tokyo with the given blessings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the grand finale of Identity Thief!
> 
> This WILL be the LONGEST chapter ever, and probably the LONGEST chapter I've ever written in any fic (unless something will happen). Apologies in advance if your eyes might strain from reading the long chapter.
> 
> I had to cramp everything into one chapter since I repeated to myself to keep the chapters at 45. So yeah.
> 
> With that said, time to enjoy the final chapter!

_Step on up to the plate!_

_Coz this ain't no game_

_It's time to make-_

"History, yeah!"

Sumire sang loudly as she grabbed her bags and her motorcycle off the train. The conductor smiles and waves her farewell as she lugs the bags onto the back of the motorcycle.

"Are you sure you'll be alright with those bags, Miss?" A staff in the train station asked her as she tied the bags onto the back.

"Yeah. Don't worry. I've had practice!" Her reassuring words only made the staff worry more as she kickstarts the motorcycle.

"I'm back, baby!"

She revs the handlebar and speeds her way to the main road, forgetting the fact that she is driving onto incoming traffic.

"Shit! Sorry!" She kept apologizing and cursing as she drove down the highway.

Arriving in Kichijoji, she got a lot of attention as she got off her bike and removed her helmet. Whispers and murmurs surrounded her again, but at this time she ignores them and waltz onto the cafe she went in last year. Picking up a menu, she orders an espresso to relax herself as she began to talk to herself.

"Been a year since I've been here. Not much has changed, but maybe that must be just me."

After receiving her drink, she sips it patiently as she looked at her phone. Right on cue, Kasumi calls her.

_"Hey, Sumire!"_

"Hey, Kasumi. Miss me already?"

_"Well, Mom can't stop crying and moping and apologizing. Made it to Tokyo already?"_

"Yeah. Nearly got killed by traffic when I drove my motorcycle down to Kichijoji."

_"You idiot! Can you not be insane in regards to traffic?"_

"I know, I know. I'm still trying to adjust to Tokyo traffic after getting cramped with the city trains for a year."

Kasumi laughed on the other line. _"Just try not to crash, too."_

"I'll send you guys updates when I get settled."

Kasumi went silent for a while. _"Where are you gonna settle in though?"_

Sumire then pondered, then smiled after sipping her drink again.

"I guess I'm free-loading again."

_"Good luck out there, Sumire. We love you."_

"A little overdue, ya think?" Sumire began to tease them.

_"Ha-ha. Please stop rubbing it on our faces. Please."_

"I love you guys too."

Kasumi then ended the call as Sumire looked at the sky turning orange.

"Oh, right. It's getting dark." She then called the waitress and paid for the drink as she rode onto her motorcycle and gently made her way to Nakano. As she arrived in Ann's condominium, she sighed as she looked at her home for one year becoming her temporary home once again. Sinking the feeling once more, she inquires on the front desk for the vehicle fee and asks for Ann's room number.

Outside of the condo unit, Sumire took a deep breath and prepared her hand on the knob.

"Here we go."

As she opened it, she sees Shiho sleeping on the couch wearing only a shirt and panties.

"I think I missed a party." Sumire murmured as she hears Shiho sleeptalking.

"N-No, I'm not shy. My boobs aren't big, but you can touch them if you want...."

Sumire slowly lowered her luggage and decided to trick her as she snuck her way to Shiho and began caressing her boobs.

"H-Hey... Don't get too handsy, o-o-okay?" Shiho whimpered. Sumire had to hold her laughter as she went gentler in the groping. "I... I wanna feel your lips."

Sumire bit her lip and leans in for the kiss. Shiho suddenly slips her tongue inside Sumire's mouth and surprised her, but because she is still joking around....

.... she dug deep into the kiss as she made sure she doesn't laugh in the middle of it.

"Mmm... you're such a good kisser." Shiho murmured as she slowly opened her eyes. "It's almost as if they were...."

Sumire then unleashed her laughter as Shiho falls off the couch with a very, very embarrassed face.

"What the f- Sumi- Sumire!"

She then tackles the laughing redhead and bearhugs her. Sumire returns the hug as Shiho abruptly breaks the hug.

"Holy shit, I just fucking made out with you! And I let you grope my tits! And.. and..."

"Shiho-senpai, you can stop now." Her laughter began to die down. "I was just messing with you. Though please don't make me eat you out or something."

Shiho turned mighty red and covered her lower body with a pillow.

"I-I-I would never!" She then checked if she got wet. "Shit."

"Don't worry. I promise I won't do that again." She sung as she marched to her room, which has been untouched since she left. Looking at the collage in awe, she began to stare at the collection of memories hung by the wall. Shiho enters the room and speaks up.

"Ann's been cleaning this room every month until you'd return, and that collage has been left there ever since."

Sumire then glanced back at Shiho, still wearing a shirt and undies.

"Mind if you can help me unpack for now? Then I'll treat ya to somewhere."

Shiho then checked Ann's room to find it empty and smirked.

"Sure thing, Sumire. But do tease Ann soon when I ask for it, aight?"

Arriving downstairs, Sumire immediately asked for her keys.

"Why do you have keys?" Shiho furrowed her brows.

"You'll see." Sumire winked as she showcased her motorcycle, letting Shiho's jaw drop.

"What the fuck!?"

"A Christmas gift. Trust me: even I am surprised." She hopped on to the motorcycle and revved it up. Shiho was still shocked as Sumire tossed her a helmet.

"Come on! Let's go on an adventure!"

Shiho hops on board as Sumire speeds towards Suidobashi, still being clumsy in her maneuvering.

"Hey! Slow down!"

"Woooooooo-hooooooo!"

As the two arrived in Dome Town, Shiho removed her helmet and vomited in a secluded corner by the gate. Sumire shook her head and parked the motorcycle by the parking lot. Still garnering attention, Shiho went close to Sumire and whispered.

"Sorry if people are still making a gossip out of you, Sumire."

Sumire gave her a reassuring grin. "Hey, don't worry about it."

Shiho then contacted Ann to meet her in Dome Town without mentioning Sumire. The two girls then found a small restaurant inside and ordered teriyaki bowls while waiting for Ann as the ravenhead began asking.

"Why didn't you tell us you were leaving?"

Sumire knew she was gonna be asked that one way or another and prepared her defense.

"I felt guilty for leaving, especially since you all had planned me something for a celebration or a surprise."

Shiho frowned as Sumire continued.

"So I made the video to make sure you guys won't hate me for doing so. I hope you all aren't mad at me."

Shiho then gave her a smile and touched her cheek.

"Hush it, Sumire. No one is mad at you. Well.... almost no one..."

Sumire knew who she was talking about and went downcast.

"How has he been?"

Shiho grits her teeth in trouble and exhaled. "He's been cold, Sumire. Sometimes, he'd be pissed off for no apparent reason. Other times, he's busy chugging down alcohol during his free time."

Sumire frowned more. "That bad, huh?"

"Yeah."

Ann arrives and blatantly ignored Sumire as she sat across Shiho.

"Hey, Shiho!"

"Yo."

"Hello, Ann-senpai."

"Oh, hey Sumire. SUMIRE!?" Ann took a double look at her redheaded seatmate and hugged her. "You're here!"

Sumire smiled at the blonde. "Of course, I'm here. Though seeing Shiho-senpai butt naked and touching herself was quite a sight for someone who just returned home."

Ann gave Shiho a disappointed look, where Shiho pouted at Sumire.

"Like hell, I did!"

Ann giggled at how snarky and teasing Sumire has become. She then notice Shiho turning red.

"My, my! Am I seeing Shiho Suzui flustered from her crush's joke?"

"Shut up!" Shiho pointed at Ann with a spoon. "You still feel flustered when Futaba spies at you!"

Ann scoffed. "Not my fault she admitted to being attracted to women!"

"FYI, I'd kill for a man who is well-hung right now!" Shiho huffed, causing Sumire to frown.

"I thought you'd rather have a guy with a silver tongue..." She suddenly switched to a smug grin. "One that can-"

"Why are you suddenly perverted?" Shiho banged her head on the table in defeat.

"I'm not entirely perverted." Sumire defended herself. "I still get flustered about the topic of sex."

"Really?" Ann looked at her quizzically.

"Yeah. Especially since..."

Ann understood what she was about to say and placed her hand on her shoulder.

"It's gonna be White Day in a few days. Why not we cheer him up?"

Sumire smiled, but after she reminded them of her enrollment back to U.E.S.

The next day, Sumire stood outside the gates of the university that revered and resented her at the same time. Shiho and Ann arrive and accompany her to the scholarship office after the redhead told them about the offer Mitsuru Kirijo and Yu Narukami gave her. As they arrive outside the office, Sumire knocks on the door twice until she hears a voice to let her come in. Once she does, she sees Narukami adjusting the new aquarium he ordered with a small golden sea bass.

"Oh, it's nice to see you again, Yoshizawa-san." He greeted her with his usual welcoming smile.

"Hello, Narukami-san."

Narukami then grabbed a glass of water and offered it to her as she sat. He then took his seat and looked at her.

"I take it your parents gave you the scholarship offer?"

"Mm-hmm!" Sumire chimed. "I'm actually in shock and awe until now about it."

Narukami chuckled a bit. "Well, think of it as a thank-you gift for doing the best of the best here in East Shinjuku."

Sumire was then offered a contract and waiver regarding her scholarship. As she read the terms, Narukami began to ask her slowly.

"How's your relationship with your family?"

"Mended back. Though it doesn't feel like home just yet, if you get what I mean."

"Have you done out-of-school studying at home or during your outings?"

"Yes. I'm gonna accomplish my goal to become a professional chef! Or baker. I dunno yet."

"Have you met up with Ren yet?"

Sumire held back for a bit before answering. "Not yet. But I heard from Shiho-senpai and Ann-senpai that he's not doing well."

Narukami then gave a short frown. "Yeah. When he marched up to the stage to receive his Magna Cum Laude achievement, he never flashed a genuine smile or a pleasant approach. During his exit interview, he kept mumbling stuff about how he's a sorry excuse of a human."

The redheaded girl frowned upon learning how broken Ren had become. She then asked of his whereabouts, to which Narukami unfortunately has no idea.

"If ever you need anything, just come here or have a visit at Maruki's office. I'll let Okumura and Kawakami know about your return."

"Thank you, Narukami-san!" Sumire bowed and exited the office to finish enrollment, and to her surprise...

"I'm still registered as Sumi Yoshizawa?!"

Shiho then scratched her head. "Well, you are a returnee. So of course they'll use your old account."

"Well, at least I don't have to address myself like I'm Kasumi." She shrugged as Ann realized something.

"That reminds me: we're gonna be classmates!"

"Eh?"

"Oh, right. Ann majored in Fashion before she stopped schooling. Now she's majoring in Hotel and Restaurant Management with you since she sucks at cooking food that is not found on her social media ads." Shiho stuck her tongue out.

"Better that than fail at being a designer! I'm only good with the modelling, but not with the designing." Ann pouted.

"To be fair, you do lack the artistic taste." Shiho smugly taunted her.

"I'd rather hear that from Yusuke than you."

Sumire snickered as she remained quiet to hear Ann and Shiho bickering more.

A few days later, White Day occurs. Sumire wakes up to see Ann already cooking pancakes while Shiho does yoga in the balcony.

"Morning, ladies!"

"Oh, you're up early." Shiho worded.

"Uh, Shiho. Remember the plan?" Ann huffed.

"Right!" The girl with the ponytail then stopped and removed her scrunchie. "Let's eat first before we pull off a surprise."

Sumire giggled. "They'll never see it coming."

Ann then whipped her phone out and began to dial Futaba.

"Hey, Futaba-chan!"

_"Ann? Why call this early?"_

"Well, it's White Day, and we gotta surprise Ren!"

 _"Have you forgotten what White Day is?"_ Futaba attempted to shoot down whatever Ann is plotting.

"Damnit, Futaba! We need to cheer him up!" Ann barked at the gremlin, forcing her to suddenly speak like a soldier.

_"Y-Yes, Ma'am! Operation Happy Lotus will be ready when you relay the orders, Ma'am!"_

Sumire can imagine Futaba saluting in her pajamas at this point.

After Ann hangs up the call, she then made a sly grin.

"Shall we pamper you up, Sumire?"

Sumire gulped. "Keep it classy and simple, please."

Meanwhile, in LeBlanc, Ren punched his alarm clock off the ground again as he rises up from the bed. He noticed his notebook on the ground and checked his last progress.

"Shit. Narukami's relatives' appointment is today."

He immediately dressed up and rushed to the small office he works at in Aoyama-Itchome. Ironically, the office building is a short walk away from Shujin Academy: the place where he began his daring journey. Arriving right on time, the desk receptionist glared at him.

"ALMOST late, Amamiya. Again."

"Ah, cut me some slack. I had to review all cases and made sure I typed them on my laptop." Ren hissed.

The receptionist rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Ren then entered his office and fixed the place up as he then gets a knock on the door.

"You may come in."

After an hour of talking with Narukami's cousin, who is having social anxiety, and her father, whose overprotective nature has a cause in it, Ren lets them go and recommends them to come back after Golden Week since they live very far. However, Narukami's cousin saw the photo of Ren and Sumire (with red hair) and began to ask questions outside of their appointment time.

"Hey, I know her!"

"Nanako..."

"Dad, we saw her in Okinawa when we ate at that grill house! How could you forget?"

Nanako's dad sighed. "Geez, you get jumpy when it's stuff not involving you."

The girl named Nanako then ran up to Ren's desk as he kept the files.

"How did you know that girl?"

Ren then looked at what she was holding and forced a smile on his face. "It's a long story, and I'm afraid I can't talk much about my personal life outside of our appointment, Nanako-chan."

The girl pouted. "Fine. But you're telling me next time! Deal?"

Ren rolled his eyes and gave her a thumbs up. As she left the office, her dad then looked at the photo.

"Been a while since I heard from you, Amamiya. Last I checked, you were dating that Yoshizawa girl.... Kasumi, right?"

".... Sumire. Her twin sister."

The dad hummed. "You look down. Something wrong?"

"Nah, it's nothing." Ren dodged the question.

"You know, Narukami told me you got depressed. If it's something related to the Sumire girl, I can understand you."

Ren then sighed in defeat.

"Just don't tell Nanako about this. She and I broke up because we have been fooling each other for quite some time. She used me, and I... used her."

"Figured much. But from how you look now, you want her back. Am I right?"

Ren nods as the dad walked to the door.

"We'll be back by Golden Week. Mind making a reservation in advance?"

"Sure thing, Dojima-san."

After Dojima left, Ren sunk onto his chair in despair and opens his cabinet to grab a bottle of gin. He then chugs down half of the bottle before fixing himself and the office for the next appointment......

.

.

.

...... if there was one.

"Damnit, what to do now?"

His telephone rings suddenly. Ren picks it up and makes a fake gagging noise when the receptionist talked.

_"Hey, your annoying stepsister or whatever she is to you is here. She ain't leaving until you come here to the lobby."_

Ren then locks his office and made his way to the lobby where he finds Futaba wearing a military attire.

"Futaba? Why?"

"I've been ordered by General Ann to grab you and send you to LeBlanc."

"Right now?"

Futaba didn't answer the question.

"Futaba. Am I needed right now?"

"Uh, hold on a sec." She quickly texts Ann and goes back to her salute. Ren shook his head and makes his way back to the office as Futaba remains in her pose. The receptionist scoffs and goes back to reading her magazine until Ann replied an hour later.

Ren sighed as he noticed that his next counselling session will be held four days after White Day - a day before the twins' birthdays.

"Can't be helped." He then decided to call it a day earlier than usual and goes back to Futaba, who was already dozing off.

"Come on, Futaba. What am I needed for in LeBlanc?"

"Well, Sojiro said LeBlanc is still under cleaning maintenance, so we'll kill time somewhere." She flashed a mischievous grin and begins dragging Ren around Tokyo.

"Futab-AH! Wait!"

By the time it's 3 pm, Futaba and Ren returned to LeBlanc to find Ryuji, Makoto, her baby Hamuko, Sojiro, Yusuke, Akechi, Morgan (who is now called Mona by the gang), and Sae (who happens to be pregnant for some reason) sitting by the booths.

"Yo! You're back early." Ryuji started.

"No other appointments were scheduled for today. Plus, Futaba dragged me all around Akihabara and Asakusa to the point where we were mistaken as a couple." Ren grunted.

Sojiro rubbed his temples. "Futaba, what did I tell you about dragging around boys? This is the second time already."

"Not my fault Akechi kept teasing me about going to the aquarium! The black octopus show was awesome!"

"I'm wondering as to why you call us here, Futaba-chan. Makoto and I were about to go to the doctor to see the gender of my baby." Sae interrogated her.

"Niijimas and deadbeat dads." Futaba mumbled to herself. "Well, Ann told me it's a surprise."

Haru enters the cafe and sees the team sitting around like something's gonna happen.

"Am I late for something?"

"Not at all." Akechi offered her a seat. "Though I am wondering if this is related to Ren and his alcohol problems."

"Don't get hyped up, asshole." Ren pointed a finger at him. "Leave me and my habits alone."

"Take it easy, kid." Sojiro warned him as Shiho and Ann arrived.

"Hello, everyone!"

"What is shakin', everybody?"

Ryuji, being Ryuji, began to mess around. "What's with the skimpy outfits?"

"THEY AREN'T SKIMPY!" Both of them howled at the blonde man.

"Anyways," Ann continued, "we called you all here because we have a very important announcement...."

While Shiho and Ann distracted the group, Sumire climbed her way to LeBlanc's attic/Ren's room and sneaks her way to the stairs.

"And so, without further ado, here's our special performance! Ready, Shiho?"

"Ready!"

"Fu-SION!" Both Shiho and Ann then made a pose together as it dearly confused everyone.

"Is this a joke?" Akechi sighed in disbelief.

"I was wondering what those poses are." Yusuke framed his fingers onto them again.

"I don't seem to follow. Care to elaborate us with it?"

Shiho and Ann can only smile. Ren squinted his eyes as he suspects something.

"Something tells me this was a decoy."

"Yep. The real surprise is here." Sumire spoke from behind them as everyone turned.

"SUMIRE!" Everyone except Ren, Sae, Sojiro, and Akechi cheered.

"Hello everyone. I'm back." She greeted them all.

"How did you get in here?" Sae asked her. "Our eyes were literally on the front door."

"She must have climbed through the window." Mona deduced. "I mean, Ren did it twice when he forgets the key to LeBlanc."

Sojiro dismissed that fact and looked at her with a smile. "Never thought I'd see you again."

But they all noticed something. Sumire was looking at Ren, and Ren was looking at Sumire.

"Ren."

"I'm not dreaming, right? Someone pinch me."

"Will a bullet to the butt work?" Akechi pulled out his gun and waved it around.

"No shooting, Akechi." Makoto chided him, causing the detective to holster his gun with the small bag Sumire gave him last Christmas.

"I know I might have broken you the day I left, and I'm sorry for making you feel guilty about everything."

Ren teared up. "Screw that. What matters most is you're back."

He then hugged her tight as everyone applauded. Sumire returned the hug and then lifted his face for a kiss in the lips.

"Whoa." Futaba spoke for the group.

"If you want us to date once again... to give you a second chance... allow me to reintroduce myself." Sumire chuckled. "I'm Sumire Yoshizawa, a returning sophomore student of the Hotel and Restaurant Management course in the University of East Shinjuku."

Ren noticed her extended her hand. He reluctantly accepts the handshake, but feels relieved to see Sumire smile.

"I'm Ren Amamiya. A young therapist-in-training working in Aoyama-Itchome. A graduate of the University of East Shinjuku."

Sumire then looked over at the counter, specifically the brewing machine.

"Shall we talk over a cup of coffee?"

"I'd like that."

She then looked at everyone else, who were still gawking at her personality change. "Do you all want some as well?"

Everyone nods their head while Shiho and Ann did a no-look fist bump by the entrance.

9 pm in the evening fell as Sumire, Ren, Futaba, Sojiro, Shiho, and Ann were the only people left in LeBlanc. Sumire spent a boatload of time talking to everyone about her progress in Okinawa and how she ran into Ryuji and Makoto one fateful night, and with Akechi on another. With the fatigue kicking in, Sumire yawned as she finished cleaning the plates.

"All done! Ho-hum...."

"Jeez, Sumire. Yawns are... contagious... for everyone." Shiho yawned as well.

Ann noticed Ren's face being more relaxed.

"Someone's not grumpy anymore."

"I can finally redeem myself after last year's fail." He muttered.

Ann then decided to tease him. "She owns a motorcycle, you know."

"Wait, what?"

Suddenly, Ann went from teasing to gossiping. "I know! I was completely shocked when Shiho introduced me to Sumire-chan's motorcycle! It was the American-made one too!"

"It was an unexpected Christmas gift from my parents. If you want a faster motorcycle, you can always look at Kasumi's Thunderbird."

"WHAT!? Seriously!?" Futaba was astonished. "How rich are you people!?"

"Easy, Futaba. You can't even ride a bicycle without the training wheels yet!"

Futaba turned red after Sojiro said it. "Don't tell them that stuff, Sojiro!"

Everyone laughed as Ren yawned as well.

"Damn, I guess I'm tired as well." He glanced at Sumire. "Hey, you free for the weekend?"

Sumire knew what he was up to and grinned. "Let me guess: you wanna take me out on a date on my birthday?"

_Crap, she knew._

_I'm too good since we last met, Ren-senpai. I'm not the naïve Sumire anymore._

Ann's eyes lit up at the realization. "Shit! I forgot to reserve a cake."

"Ah, Haru will reserve one for us anyway! She's still gonna be Sumire's teacher, and she's gonna be Ann's teacher." Futaba spoke.

"I just had to shift to Hotel and Resto where half of the stressful stuff happens. And Kawakami was my only teacher along with a few nobodies." Ann huffed in annoyance.

Sumire then surrendered the apron to Sojiro and looked at Ren as she, Shiho, and Ann walk out the door.

"I'm expecting great things from you, Ren."

"No more 'senpai' honorific?" He asked.

"No need. If we are going to get along once again, might as well see you as my equal." She smirked and winked as she and the other two left. Sojiro then chuckles as he kept the aprons.

"I don't know if this is her true self, but half of it looks like her sister's influence."

"The less arrogant one, that is." Futaba added as she wore her boots back.

"Yeah."

"Kid, since you finally saw her again and all, maybe cut back on the alcohol this time?" Sojiro asked.

"Or the grumpiness?" Futaba interjected.

"I know, I know." Ren waved them off, still amazed at what happened.

March 25. Kasumi and Sumire's Birthday. Sumire wakes up to Kasumi calling her at 7 am in the morning, chuckling at the eagerness of Kasumi to greet early.

"Hello?"

_"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY DEAR TWIN SISTER! I.... uh, I..... Ah, fuck. I forgot my speech."_

"Happy birthday to you too." Sumire yawned as Kasumi growled.

_"I practiced all night for that speech! Ugh, I suck."_

"No, you don't. Be confident in yourself."

_"Easy for you to say."_

Sumire frowned, and Kasumi sensed it.

_"Sorry. Didn't mean to put it like that."_

"It's fine. At least I don't have to be afraid anymore." Sumire said as she scratched her leg.

_"So did you meet up with Ren?"_

"Yeah, I did. We're gonna reset everything and see if things might go well for us."

_"Goodie! Honestly, I hope you two make up and date again. I'll just be looking for someone else."_

Sumire then had the audacity to tease her sister. "You can always have Akechi-san, if you like."

_"Yeah, no. Since Christmas, I see him as a distant relative now. I am not gonna do what that hentai we saw last February did."_

"You lack decency, you know?"

_"Speak for yourself, you closeted perv."_

"Hush." Sumire was blushing as Kasumi laughed on the other end.

_"Well, let's hope things will be well for us today. We're both 21 now, so we count as adults."_

Sumire giggled. "Take care there, Kasumi. Say hi to Mom and Dad for me! And Hifumi-senpai too!"

_"Gotcha, lil sis. Love ya!"_

Kasumi hung up the phone as Sumire prepared herself for her special day and whatever shenanigans is gonna happen. From Haru giving her a 4-layered cake to Shiho losing 10 times in Tycoon against her, Ann, and Ren, Sumire enjoyed her birthday for the first time since her childhood. Looking at her bedroom, she notices her younger self smiling at her while she sits on the bed. Sumire then continued on until the dinner date in Asakusa.

As Ren brought her to the restaurant, he and Sumire had idle chat.

"A dinner date in the Skytree Tower. Something we haven't done before."

"Yeah. One of the compensation dates I had planned since you left."

"Hehe... I was wondering when will you bring me to Shinagawa again."

"Next month."

Sumire furrowed her brows. "Okay, I have no idea when will you bring me to Destinyland."

"Golden Week. After my last counselling session."

She was feeling suspicious, but kept her smile. "Odaiba."

"July."

"Miura Beach."

"Two days in August."

"Kyoto Hot Springs."

"Uh...."

_Bingo._

"I, uh...."

Sumire chuckled at Ren's unpreparedness. "Don't worry. No need to rush the dates. You're working, I'm studying. All in our free time."

"Right." He replied while wiping the sweat off his forehead.

The couple then arrived and sat on their table as they ordered their meals. Once they did, the announcer suddenly announced about showing the couples a wonderful view of Tokyo. Sumire gasped as she saw how lovely the city is from above as Ren began fumbling in his pockets.

"So pretty..." She muttered.

"Not as pretty as you." Ren's words alerted Sumire as she looked back and saw him present a ring.

"W-WAIT! We just got back and- and..." She shouted as she quickly went red.

The waiter snickered as he told everyone to ignore them.

"That's a promise ring, miss. Not an engagement ring."

"O-Oh.... I'm sorry. I guess I jumped the gun there." _Fucking Classic Sumire. Still flustered when I least expect it._

"N-No, it's my bad. I, uh, I didn't want to lose it so I asked for a box." He made his defense.

Sumire then looked at her fingers. _I guess two rings isn't bad, although Kasumi just had a belly button piercing and Mom and Dad seem fine with it._

"What's the promise then, R-Ren?"

Ren cleared his throat as he began to speak.

"Promise me that no matter what happens or no matter the situation, you solemnly swear to live an honest relationship with me until the fated day."

Sumire blushed intensely, but shook off the feeling and had a proposal as well.

"As long as you promise to treat me not as a pampered princess or a taken-for-granted showgirl. I want you to promise to me to be yourself as I will be myself. Any problems, tell me so we can find a solution. Any issues regarding my lifestyle or my ethics, do tell me as well. As for-"

"Okay, okay. I get it. I promise to not break your heart." He shortened it with a nervous and sheepishly grin.

Sumire smiled and noticed something from behind.

"Are those violets for me? How sweet."

_What the f- How did she-_

_Mwehehe. I told you, Ren... I'm not naive anymore._

_Except when you start blushing like a tomato._

_Be quiet, Kasumi._

Sumire shook her inner voices off and spent the rest of the night with Ren.

Days turned to weeks, and weeks turned into months. As time flew by, Sumire and Ren got closer and closer to becoming an official couple once more. However, both of them still hesitate to open it up despite their promises on her birthday not too long ago. While Sumire was still treated as an outcast by most of her peers, Ann managed to keep her company alongside Haru, Maruki, Kawakami, and (surprisingly) Narukami throughout her tenure in U.E.S. By the time it was summer vacation, she and Ren spent two days in a beachside inn by Miura Beach. On the first night, she charged onto the water giggling like a little girl as she flaunts a red bikini under an oversized plain white tee. Ren follows her wearing blue beach shorts and a white polo shirt.

"H-Hey! Wait up!"

"Come on! The water's freezing!"

"I'm not sure if I should take that as a good thing or a bad thing." Ren murmured. He joins her in the water and immediately shivers, making the redhead laugh.

"Either you are getting cold feet or you hate the cold."

"Consider it as a trauma from the rescue I did on you back then."

"Sorry." She then laid down on the water before she got suddenly pulled down.

"Wah! Ren!"

Ren chuckled as he surfaced. "Always wanted to do that."

Sumire shakes the water off of her. "You're so unpredictable."

Ren shook his head. "You've changed entirely since we last met. And these past few months, you just went to the beat of your own drum and still excelled."

"Yeah?"

"You even tutored Ann when she would literally pass your words in and out of her ears, you assisted Haru in Cafe Noir, you even decided to work in Maruki's office as his secretary. It's like a totally new you."

Sumire blushed and smile. "Think of it as the old me that I have lost before."

Ren smiled back, but suddenly went tense after he smelled something.

"Is that.... vomit?"

Sumire then followed suit. "Yeah. Ew."

They then turned their heads towards someone under a pier vomiting. They followed the trail and realized they have entered the zone.

"EWWW!" The two rushed to the nearest clean zone and made sure they didn't reek like puke on their way back to the inn.

By the time it was Christmas season, Sumire was already an achiever in the school alongside Ann, who managed to improve her grades after endless tutoring with Haru and Shiho. For Ren, he was faring well with the therapist training and began making a name for himself as a wonderful family therapist. As for their relationship, it's a mix of both awkwardness and caution since they have their respective businesses and found only so little time to hang out and date.

"Christmas is here now." Sumire murmured. "I should see how Kasumi and my parents are doing."

She then checked her social media to see a photo of Kasumi being clumsy with a holiday cake. Snickering at the sight, she commented the photo and pocketed her phone as Ren arrives in the cafe.

"Sorry, I'm late. Got a bit occupied with a family issue at work." He apologized as he sat across her.

"It's fine." She smiled. "I understand how taxing your work is."

"Thanks." He was then served coffee as he stared and took in the aroma. "Colombian."

"Still knowledgable with your coffee, huh?"

The two laughed as they then discussed about something.

"I've been thinking... We've already gone through a lot of compensation dates and a few others. We've repetitively went to Shinagawa, Suidobashi, Odaiba, Asakusa, Ikebukuro, and Inokashira Park."

Ren remained quiet as Sumire continued. "I know we're still a little unofficial, so I want to take our relationship to the next level. However, I want to know if you're ready or not."

Ren felt a bit guilty. "I'm guessing you're not yet ready, are you?"

Sumire sadly nods. "Honestly, not yet. We can flirt as much as we want and kiss as much as we want, but I'm still scarred by what happened back then."

Ren pursed his lips a bit. "Then I'll wait until you're ready."

Sumire eyed him warily. "Even if it'll take us years?"

Ren frowned a bit. But he understood that he indirectly caused her trauma and nods.

"Even if it'll take years. I'm ready when you are."

Sumire then extends her hand and places it on top of his hand.

"Thank you, Ren."

And so their relationship remained as is, even after Sumire brought Ren home to Okinawa during her free days within her second year of college life. Approaching third year status, Sumire still felt uneasiness. On one hand, she still fears for the worst if she goes back to being Ren's official girlfriend. On another, she feels unsure whether staying unofficial would make things worse.

"Oh! Yoshizawa-san." Narukami greeted her while she stared blankly in the sky by the rooftop. "Figured you were gonna be here."

"Narukami-san! I'm so sorry for-"

Narukami held his hand up. "Don't worry. I come up here to enjoy the view sometimes."

Both he and Sumire then stare at the sight of the school grounds. Narukami then spoke up and startled Sumire a bit.

"Something's on your mind."

"Y-Yeah."

"Is it about school or Ren?"

"Both."

Narukami raised an eyebrow without looking at her. "Why so?"

Sumire took a deep breath. "I'm offering him a second chance to know me more and take me on dates. And then I'm super busy with my studies while he is dealing with occasional sessions in his work. I don't know if I'm distracting him or he's distracting me."

Narukami only grinned. "Well, you are now experiencing what Rise and I are going through right now. While she's touring around the world, I can't help but wonder if I am indirectly distracting her while she's abroad or I'm too distracted by her while I'm keeping track of student scholarships."

Sumire glanced at him. "Are you scared?"

"Of our relationship going south? Yeah. But I trust Rise, just like how she trusts me." He then looked at her. "I know trusting Ren is hard, but if you can let him be more open and expressive.... maybe you can wholeheartedly trust him deep in your heart."

"Deep in my heart...." Sumire murmured as she looked up in the sky and closed her eyes. "Thank you, Narukami-san."

"Pleasure to help. Now let's enjoy the peace for now until your next class."

A year and a half has passed since her return, and she still ponders about several what-ifs. Glancing at the promise ring, she sighs deeply as she continues paying attention to the teachers as a junior college student. Later on, she then asks Ann and Shiho one night regarding her unofficial relationship with Ren.

"So you're uncertain whether you want to be official with Ren?" Ann asked as she chowed down her chao fan.

"Yeah. A part of me is still scared, even after we promised each other to stay honest to each other." Sumire muttered somberly.

Shiho gulps down her lemonade. "Well, is Ren ready to take the relationship to the next level?"

"Only if I'm ready. He's waiting for me."

Ann and Shiho looked at each other and immediately called Futaba. After directing the orange-haired gremlin to get Ren to come to the condominium, Ann noticed Sumire immediately panicking.

"W-W-Wait! I didn't s-s-say I should talk to him about it n-n-now!"

"You two need to solve your relationship right here, right now!" Ann demanded.

"I can always be the pastor, if you need me." Shiho insisted, making her blush even more.

"Sh-Shiho-senpai!"

A few minutes later, Ren arrives and notices Sumire in her room covering her face with a pillow. As soon as he entered the room, Ann and Shiho slipped out and locks them inside.

"What the -"

_"Time for you two to settle your relationship issues!"_

"Ann?"

_"Gooooooood luuuuuuuck!"_

"Shiho?!"

Ren sighed in defeat as he saw Sumire avoiding his gaze. He sat next to her as he started.

"So.... something on your mind?"

Sumire bit her lip. "I, uh..."

"Don't worry. Take your time." Ren reassured her.

She then took a deep breath and spoke.

"Back when I posed as Kasumi, you have been using me. And when I found out, I felt scared and angry and depressed and...." She sighed deeply. "I still wonder until now if I'm really for you."

Ren pulled her close to him. "I know, Sumi. And until now, my own thoughts haunt me with the things I've done. But I realized something."

"Yeah?"

"If you're still scared of us becoming official, then I have to double my efforts into making you feel comfortable again."

"It's not that."

Ren was caught off-guard by her words.

"It's just.... what if we lose ourselves? What if we end up breaking our promises? What if-"

Ren stops her by kissing her for a good 2 minutes. Surrendering to the feeling, Sumire holds onto him for the kiss. As soon as they finished, Ren began talking.

"How about we make us official? If things go well, then it's a success. If not, then we'll do our damnedest to make sure we stay official."

Sumire looked at him in the eye, then hugged him.

"For better or for worse?"

"For better or for worse." Ren returned the hug. "Sumire Yoshizawa, will you give me an official second chance?"

Sumire then hugged him tighter. "Promise you'll take care of me?"

"As long as you promise to do the same."

Sumire and Ren kissed one more time, but now longer than usual.

"I.... I love you, Ren."

"I love you too... Sumire."

Their kiss went passionate as Sumire pushed Ren a bit.

"Um.... Ren?"

"Yes?"

She turns around and faces her butt on Ren, giving him a clear idea on what they're gonna do. And against the impending protests of Ann and Shiho listening in outside the door.

"I... uh, I....." She was beginning to turn red.

_I'm such an idiot for still feeling bashful about the idea of this._

"I'm ready." She gulped. "M-M-Make me yours."

From outside, Shiho and Ann slowly backed away and turned the volume of the TV to maximum to avoid hearing the sounds of pain and pleasure.

A year later, Sumire finally graduated U.E.S. alongside Ann. With Kasumi and her parents showing up, she marches up the stage to accept her diploma as Summa Cum Laude, and she is the only one in her course who has obtained the highest honor. As she prepares her speech, she looks at the administrators and her families (bloodline and built) and smiles as she started.

"Years ago, I came to this school filled with anxiety and distrust. I came here to run away from my own problems and solved someone else's. But things happened, and over the time I took a break from schooling, I underwent something that helped me realize that I should value myself more than ever and keep standing with my two firm feet. I'm no longer going to run away from everything, and as I have completed my remaining three years after my return, I am going to show the world that I can be whatever I will be. Because before you find the passion to love something... or someone... you have to look into yourself and find the strength to love yourself for who you are. No more what-ifs. Nothing to prove anymore. As I stand here in front of you all, I am now removing the mask that everyone wants me to wear in my life; I am now myself, a free spirit ready to explore and challenge myself! My name is Sumire Yoshizawa, a graduate of this wonderful institution, and I am now signing off!"

She is then met with a round of applause as she smiles back at Ren and the people looking at her with the brightest smiles. However, Yusuke and his eagle eyes saw something on Sumire's finger. He began laughing eccentrically as Futaba began yelling at him. Upon arrival in the crowded lobby, Sumire noticed Kasumi wearing Sundance University's toga.

"Why are you-"

"My graduation was yesterday, so I kinda forgot to tell you that."

Shinichi glanced at her. "Well, we kinda rushed our way to see you graduate so we didn't bring much clothing. And unlike you, Kasumi was just a regular graduate despite her four-year scholarship."

"Dad!"

Hanaki added her thoughts. "I guess Togo-san's tutoring didn't help you enough. Or you just slept in your classes throughout the four years."

Kasumi hung her head in shame. "I give up."

Ren then approached Sumire and catches her as she leapt onto him.

"Ren!" She showers him with kisses.

"Hey, take it easy, Sumi. You're still wearing your toga."

Sumire blushes as the others approached her.

"Congratulations, Yoshizawa-san 1 and Yoshizawa-san 2!" Makoto said as she holds her belly.

"Wait, you're pregnant again?" Kasumi looked at her with surprise.

"With my genes this time." Ryuji sported his signature shit-eating grin, earning an elbow from Makoto.

"You're really hyped up, huh?"

"Mommy, I want ice cream!" Ryuji and Makoto's daughter, Hamuko, demanded.

"Alright, kiddo. Come on." Ryuji takes her as Haru kept clapping.

"Congratulations as well on another thing."

Shiho looked at Haru. "What are you talking about?"

Yusuke answered for her. "It seems that Ren and Sumire are engaged."

Ann, who bought a soda after meeting up with her model friends, spat after hearing those words. "WHAT!?"

Sumire hid behind Ren. "I guess the cat's out of the bag."

Kasumi yanks Sumire's wrist and sees that she has a diamond-encrusted ring on her left hand.

"No damn way! When did you two get engaged?"

Ren whistled as Sumire began blushing. "L-L-Last night..."

Futaba's jaw dropped as Shiho butts in. "Well, it took some time to chat about it as I am officially the bridesmaid. As for how Ann is too blind to see the ring last, I have no idea."

"Shut it, you!"

"Um, Ann-senpai...."

"Yeah, Sumire?"

"Ren and I kinda rented an apartment for me and him in Meiji. You don't mind if he sleeps with me in my room for a while until the contract is okay?"

Ann pinched her nose bridge. "Fine. But no sex."

"Deal!" Both said out loud.

"I can't believe I'm allowing my ex-boyfriend and his fiance sleep in my condo for a while. Now I gotta make sure the neighbors won't complain." Ann mumbled in defeat as she drank.

Ren chuckled as he looked at Kasumi. "Kasumi."

"Amamiya-san. Or should I say-"

"Please don't call him my husband yet." Sumire covered her face with the board hat. "Shiho-senpai massacred my brain with it."

Hanaki and Shinichi laughed. The father then told him to be a good man to Sumire while her mother began to ask her about the wedding.

"We gotta settle in together first. Being freeloaders is a no-no for engaged couples."

Ann looked at the two with annoyance. Sumire giggled at the sight.

_Seems like she didn't find that funny despite being true._

"We'll talk more during dinner. I reserved a place for us anyway." Ren uttered before drawing Sumire close. "Since you two have graduated, why not have a picture together?"

Sumire and Kasumi nod as they set up for the photo. The two flashed bright smiles. Akechi, however, shoves Ren with the girls.

"Be with them. I'll be the photographer for once."

Ren joins the girls as he stays between them.

"Say 'Showtime!'"

"Showtime!"

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**BONUS ART #1: Ren's collage of Sumire and her photos throughout the year during her 'Kasumi' pretention**

**BONUS ART #2: The Yoshizawa twins and Ren (post-graduation)**

\------------------------------------------------------------------ **THE END** \---------------------------------------------------------------------------

**_Cast:_ **

_Laura Post - Sumire Yoshizawa/Kasumi Yoshizawa_

_Xander Mobus - Ren Amamiya_

_Erika Harlacher - Ann Takamaki_

_Christine Marie Cabanos - Shiho Suzui_

_Max Mittelman - Ryuji Sakamoto_

_Billy Kametz - Takuto Maruki_

_Robbie Daymond - Goro Akechi_

_Matthew Mercer - Yusuke Kitagwa_

_Cherami Leigh - Makoto Niijima_

_Michelle Ruff - Sadayo Kawakami_

_Xanthe Huynh - Haru Okumura_

_Erica Lindbeck - Futaba Sakura_

_Jamieson Price - Sojiro Sakura_

_Bryce Papenbrook - Morgan/Mona_

_Johnny Yong Bosch - Yu Narukami_

_Darin De Paul - Shinichi Yoshizawa_

_Jolene Anderson - Hanaki Yoshizawa_

_Eden Riegel - Hifumi Togo_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING IDENTITY THIEF!
> 
> As the author of this fanfic, I am very glad that you have enjoyed this fic from beginning to end. I honestly liked how I managed this fic and its pacing as well as how freeform the plot and characterization is when it is an AU-type of fic. With the ups and downs of our primary heroine, Sumire Yoshizawa, to the highs and lows of the deuteragonist, Ren Amamiya.... the story was a wonderful way of showcasing how much drama I can actually write. So as a gift to you all, my two final arts: the first is a photo of Sumire and Kasumi (curse me and my inconsistency of making similar faces) wearing their togas standing alongside Ren. The second art is the collage Ren made (still a curse from my inconsistent artstyle) that Yusuke judged back in "Take Your Heart Back".
> 
> I wanna know which chapter was your favorite. One chapter revolving Sumire as herself and one that revolves her during her 'Kasumi' phase.
> 
> I hope that the people who have been reading this will enjoy the third fic of mine a.k.a. the second installment of the Worlds Under War duology, "Persona: The War That Ends The World" while I flesh out a new story with the idea that popped into my head during work. So until then, I'll see you guys later (or in Persona: The War That Ends The World via comments)!
> 
> BTW, thanks to the ones who gave this fic a shoutout! I had wondered how the fic increased hits quickly on two separate instances until I checked the r/ChurchOfKasumi and saw a few comments/posts about I.T. So thanks again! I am hoping that the ongoing sequel will entertain you guys as much as this one has.


	46. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> RECAP of Identity Thief:
> 
> After Sumire Yoshizawa placed her twin sister Kasumi in a coma, she gives up her own lifestyle to fulfill Kasumi's and regain her reputation and honor. One of the goals her twin had was to date Ren Amamiya, a graduating college student who is more than what meets the eye. Along the way, she has created many friends until an accidental eavesdropped drove her insane and forced her pretention as Kasumi become real. Despite the sudden change, Sumire brought back honor to Kasumi's name until the brunette twin herself returns and exposes her. Things get worse when Ren is revealed to be using her for his research, sinking her depression further and nearly costing her her life. Despite the rocky recovery, Sumire returns to Okinawa and learns to love herself as she forgave her family and admitted to her faults while anticipating her return to Tokyo and reunite with Ren. By the time she graduates, she is now engaged and on her way to becoming Sumire Amamiya.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY! 10K Hits, y'all! So consider this epilogue as a wonderful bonus! All that's left is The War That Ends The World to join the 10k Hits gang! (Which may be a looooong while unless I actually go on a motnh-long break OR rewriting.) That and I am still finalizing the updated schedule for The War That Ends The World, so I need a breather for at least 3 days.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> (P.S. This will be on first-person perspective a.k.a. Sumire's POV)

The sea. It feels calming whenever I stare at it. The tranquil blue calling onto me as I watch the sun set and give the sky to the first-quarter moon. Whenever I take a look at this wonderful view everyday, I always reflect on my life. On my actions, on the consequences of my actions, and what they have done to impact me and the people around me. So many things has happened to me these past few years, but that one day.... I'll never forget that day....

It was during graduation practice when we just found out about our final grades. Of course, everyone still gave me the stink-eye like always. But they still applauded me for some reason, so I went to investigate with Ann-senpai. As I took a look at the honors list, I yelled from the top of my lungs with shock and awe.

"WHAT!? Summa Cum Laude!?"

I am still in shock as Ann-senpai squealed in excitement.

"OMG, Sumire! You did it!"

I know, Ann-senpai. But I am still surprised by the fact that I had achieved the highest academic achievement despite being inactive from school for a year. Like, damn! I don't even know how or why, but I am proud to be on the top despite my reaction.

"I... I can't believe it." I muttered as Ann-senpai continuously shook me around back and forth.

"We have to tell Ren this! You've achieved the highest academic award!" Ann-senpai continued to shake me around until I suddenly felt like vomiting.

"A-Ann-senpai, I don't feel so good...."

"Ah!" She stopped shaking me around. "I'm sorry!"

Regaining my composure, I reassured her and looked for her name. Both of us frowned when we saw her name around the 2.0 - 2.5 bracket.

"Shit."

"It's okay, Ann-senpai." I pat her back as we get called back for practice.

Later on, I was waiting for Ren to pick me up for our date. Years ago, I was pretending to be my own twin sister after she was involved in a car accident with me. An accident that I caused... and one that bit me in the ass hard later on during the time I pretended. One of her goals was to date Ren, who was her planned fling for her grand plan of getting pregnant and returning to the gymnastics world after labor. I fell for him hard, and just when things should have gone well.....

..... I snapped. The pressure on me being Kasumi was pouring onto me more than ever, and I ran away until my mind began to recalibrate and morphed me into Kasumi rather than further. And for a moment there, I thought Ren began to fall for me more. Damnit, we even fucked a lot because of how much of a sexually active girl Kasumi is. And I had to be Kasumi. One night in December, after I accomplished Kasumi's dream to win the collegiate gymnastics championship (despite the fact she is already a well-recognized Olympian) and won him even more, Kasumi - the real Kasumi - returned and shamed me entirely. But that wasn't just it....

.... Ren himself used me for his research. Not only did the man I fall in love with betrayed my heart, but he also used me as a steppingstone. Just like everyone else. Of course, I was physically, mentally, and emotionally damaged and went to isolate myself until I snapped again. Not only did I fail in my suicide attempt, I dragged a lot of people into my mess. But I couldn't stay mad at them...

... because they stuck with me to the end. Even Ren, who had to take a lot of time to think, feel, and show me his true self once again. They feel like a family to me, but Ren... oh, he could very well have me for as long as our relationship stays stable. Speaking of which, where is he?

"Sorry, I'm late!" I hear him call out as he runs towards me. I flash a smile as I greet him.

"Hey, Ren. You took a while."

I let him pant for a bit to catch his breath. Though this is already a normal thing for us, he was oddly two hours late.

"Sorry," he apologized again, "I got stuck with a frozen train."

Ah, the old 'train made me late' thing. Not that I'm complaining or anything, but...

"Again?"

"Yeah. Again."

I looked at his eyes and saw how his soul pierces onto mine. But at the same time, I sense a hidden agenda.

"Shall we, uh, get going?" He offered his arm, to which I accept and slung my own onto his.

"Of course! L-Lead the way." I uttered as we made our way to Shinagawa for the dolphin show. Of course, it is still showcasing Bubbles since I fled to Tokyo years ago. But this time, it's gonna be her last show. I heard that old age was getting to her, but I doubt that is the actual reason.

After the show ended, I got my last chance to have a photo with Bubbles. Upon closer inspection, I noticed a whip mark on her. I figured that she might be released back to the wild or transferred to a reserve. Poor Bubbles. So I hugged her in my final pic with her, and when I uploaded it to my social media I added the caption 'Good luck with your freedom' so people can know that she won't be feeling alone. She's free now, and it's best if she stayed free.

"Hey."

"Ren?"

"You alright?"

He must have found out about me being emotional towards Bubbles.

"Y-Yeah. Sorry to bring the mood down."

He ruffles my hair as he chuckled. I pouted as soon as hair were in front of my eyes.

"Meanie."

"Trying to turn that frown upside down, y'know."

We wandered our way to Ginza so we could eat sushi. I dunno how Ren figured me out, but I was in the mood for Californian maki, sashimi, tuna, and probably a salad. Don't ask me why there is suddenly a salad in a sushi restaurant. After we got our orders, we began our usual routine: how our day was, how things are going, yadda yadda yadda. Yet he still has that hidden agenda aura. Something doesn't add up: Ren taking me to Bubbles' last show, sushi for dinner worth 50,000 yen. What's next? An hour in Odaiba before heading for the love hotel next?

"You wanna do it there?"

Shit. I think I thought out loud for Ren to hear me. I'm just glad no one else heard me as I turn very red from the embarrassment I caused with my own mouth. And he had the damn audacity to laugh at me for it. Classic Sumire, embarrassing myself when I least expect it. But there was one difference: he gulped when he asked me that.

"Y-Yeah..." I stuttered a bit. "I d-d-don't want Ann-senpai to be disturbed, and I don't want Sakura-san to think we d-d-defiled LeBlanc..."

God, this is more embarrassing. The waiter even wondered why I'm feeling a bit hot. I dismissed it and told him it's the environment, so he amped up the AC to cool some of us down.

"Thank you for the meal!" Ren and I announced as we dug in. As soon as we finished, we paid up and went our way to Odaiba. Although it is already dark out, the Ferris wheel is now allowed to function around the night as we got on a gondola and admired the view from above. Our eyes were struck by the wonderful sight of fireworks in the sky before we shared a kiss. His soft lips onto mine, our hands caressing each other.... oh, sometimes I am confused between lust and love whenever this happens. And so we ended up in a love hotel... again. Though I did have a question...

"R-R-Ren!? This is-"

"Pricey? Don't worry about it."

He got us the most luxurious room for a six-hour accommodation. Luckily, it's around 9 pm at this point; I guess me and Ren have to sex things up a bit before graduation day. As we settled in the room and began getting a bit handsy, I felt something in his pocket before we slammed onto the bed. His phone suddenly rang as he excused himself, leaving me in the bed for a bit.

"I wonder what was that..." I murmured to myself as I slowly undressed to nothing but my underwear: the typical red bra, white panties. (As to how Ann-senpai never figured out that I'm gonna be going home late, I will not wonder any further.) As I explored the room a bit, I noticed a few.... exotic items. A bit daring, but no damn way will we use them. I saw him finish his call and immediately scrambled back to the bed, then he suddenly laughed.

"Seducing me already?"

I checked my pose. Holy crap, I was posing for him!

"Uh... um...." Shit, I'm getting really red. Suddenly, he undresses as well to his boxers. And it looks like Junior got too impatient.

"Uh..." Wait, is he nervous? "Before we get down to our business... I got something to say."

I immediately sat up. "What is it, Ren?"

He looked down on the ground after sitting next to me.

"Back then, I was nothing more than a womanizer who only progressed after certain situations involving those I have dated in the past."

I stared at him as he continued. His voice got shaky, though.

"When I met you, I was thinking that you'd be another part of my life that would bring me success. But..." He exhaled. "I guess I was wrong."

"Look, Ren. We talked about this."

"I know. But... I still can't get over it. And I know you haven't as well."

Well, he isn't wrong on that.

"But these past few years of us dating and hanging out, it felt more heartwarming than it was with Ann. But, uh, don't tell her that."

I got curious. Maybe I am too late, but I am still curious.

"What's the different between me and Ann-senpai?"

He looks at me with honest eyes. "Ann, although being an airhead and sometimes cautious, is a fun girl to be around with. Her wits, humor, bubbly nature, appearance, and kindness would win your heart before it could beat another beat." He holds my hand slowly and tightened his grip. "You, on the other hand, showed compassion, dedication, intelligence, resourcefulness, and assertiveness despite putting yourself in harm's way. Ann may be the most wonderful girl I've met, but you're the most wonderful girl I've loved."

I smiled as a tear trailed down my cheek. "I love you so much. Never forget that we're in this together."

He and I kissed again, but he abruptly stops and goes back to his pants. He then pulled out whatever was in his pants as I gasped in shock.

"I hope I'm not rushing things, but I want to make sure that we are one forever. I'll be yours, you'll be mine."

He's kneeling down. He's kneeling down! Is this for real!?

"Sumire, will you become the woman of my life for the rest of eternity?"

He could have gone straightforward by saying 'Will you marry me', but that'll do. Fuck it, my heart!

"Yes! Yesyesyes!"

Without thinking, I just tackled onto him and gave him as much kisses as possible. I had too many emotions on me: the top two were happiness and anxiousness.

"May I?"

I offered my hand as he replaces the promise ring with the engagement ring. If I recall correctly, this engagement ring was crafted somewhere in Kichijoji and costs 100,000 yen.

"I..." I sniffed as I bawled my eyes out. "I'm so happy to be called your wife."

He hugged me, and I hugged him back. Although we DID end up fucking, he was still gentle on me and smart enough to still use rubber. I'd honestly be damned if I get pregnant before the wedding, to be given love as Mrs. Sumire Amamiya or close to it.....

...... which leads us back to this moment we are in right now. We managed to rent an apartment in Meiji and prepared our wedding for 5 months. While waiting for the big day, we got ourselves wedded civilly with my family, Sakura-san, Futaba-san, Ann-senpai, and Shiho-senpai as our witnesses. Once we secured Kanda Church for the wedding, all I had to was look pretty and smart for the best event ever. Shiho-senpai, Ann-senpai, Hifumi-senpai, and Kasumi were my bridesmaids while Ren had Ryuji-senpai, Akechi-san, and Yusuke-senpai as his best men.

I looked out the window as my dad drove me to the church. Neither Mom or Dad were still ready to let me be under Ren's care permanently, but it is the way of life. The sun was setting, and the wedding is held tonight. I feel a bit nervous, but at the same time I can't hold my excitement. I had to stay calm despite how busy things have become since then. We suddenly stopped as Dad looked at me.

"Ready, Sumire?"

"Y-Yeah..."

He was suddenly tearing up. "To think our own daughter is about to be married... If ever you have kids, be the better example. Okay?"

I clearly knew what he meant by that and hugged him one last time as a Yoshizawa.

"I love you guys so much. You'll still be an example, even if I had taken it roughly."

He smiled as he opens the door for me. He and I walked down the aisle as I pass by my family and friends, then his family and friends (they seem out of place, considering that Ren suddenly alerted them of the wedding last month), then to a few teachers of mine (Haru-sama, Maruki-san, and Kawakami-sama included), to the family I molded in Tokyo. Ann-senpai was crying, Shiho-senpai was somewhat crying, Futaba-san was trying to take pictures with Sakura-san and Mishima-san (whom I only met a few times). As soon as my eyes turned to Ren, he was wearing a very dashing tuxedo as he offered his hand. I held him as Dad left to join Mom by the time the priest began the wedding. After nearly an hour...

"Will you, Ren Amamiya, take Sumire Yoshizawa to be your wedded wife and live a life full of fidelity, honesty, humility, faith, trust, and hope with her? In sickness and in health, for better or for worse?"

"I do."

"Will you, Sumire Yoshizawa, take Ren Amamiya to be your wedded husband and live a life full of fidelity, honesty, humility, faith, trust, and hope with him? In sickness and in health, for better or for worse?"

"I... I do."

_Idiot! I just had to stutter!_

"Then by the power of God, I announce you two officially husband and wife!"

The entire chapel applauded with a few happy yet teary faces. I looked and smiled at Ren as he lifted the veil covering my face.

"You may now-"

"Kiss already!" Futaba-san's loud mouth interrupted the priest, but he just shrugged and laughed it off as Ren and I put our lips together. We felt a new feeling during that kiss as if something changed in us. Like, a bond grew strong in me and Ren.

"I love you, Sumire."

"I love you too, Ren."

Before we knew it, Ryuji-senpai suddenly pumped his fist in the air.

"Alright, Akechi! Time to prep up for the reception!"

"Or we can just do it here with our tuxedos." Yusuke-senpai suggested. It sure didn't help Akechi-san.

"You two are idiots. Fine."

As we had our pictures with our families and friends, it was only until Futaba-san blared out some Arabian music when it was their turn.

"Futaba?"

"Don't worry." Boy, her mischievous grin never fails to surprise me. With Ryuji-senpai, Yusuke-senpai, and Akechi-san not with us, we went along with the photoshoots until we see a car pull up. Ren and I see Yusuke-senpai coming out, but with some weird costumes.

"AWAKEN, MY COMRADES!"

I noticed Futaba-san bouncing to the song as I laughed at how Ryuji-senpai and Akechi-san looked. They were nearly naked with the clothes they're in, but it's still disrespectful to do so in a church. Oh, Yusuke-senpai.

"We'll be your bodyguards for tonight, Ren-Ren!" Ryuji-senpai jeered, much to Ren's chagrin.

"Come on, guys. Not in here...."

Of course, the reception went well and things went smoothly for us over the last 5 years. And safe to say-

"Mommy! Aunt Kasumi is here!"

"I'm coming!"

Heh. Monika. Our firstborn daughter is already our best achievement as a couple, and honestly Kasumi would be disappointed in me if I got myself pregnant after only 3 years....

..... "You got preggo again? You two need to stop."

Well, this time it's a boy. And I know that she is already influenced by some Western stuff, so her trying to suggest a baby name is not gonna happen.

"Hey, we're just making sure we're planning our family right." Ren defended us as Kasumi sighed.

"One of these days, I'm gonna need a kid. Being a teacher to elementary students is harder than I thought if I don't have a kid of my own to train with."

I just laughed at her mumbling. "Sorry, Kasumi."

She pats my back and sat next to me. "Eh, don't sweat it." She felt my big belly and smiled. "You've been a great mom so far, Sumi. I just hope that it's not hindering your job as a business partner with Okumura-san."

A car honks outside as Monika rushes to the door and pulls her dad.

"Aunt Mako! Uncle Ryuji!"

Kasumi and I laughed. I guess Makoto-san, Ryuji-senpai, Hamuko, and Ryoto are back again. Kasumi then stood up and asked me to talk with her in the balcony.

"Whatcha wanna talk about?"

Kasumi bit her lip. "Until now, I still think about several what-ifs. Like, what if I actually met Ren and you didn't? What would have happened to you?"

"Well, I'd be forever alone. No one would want Classic Sumire anyway."

"Don't say that, Sumire. You got Ren now. And maybe Shiho-san."

I giggled at that. "I wonder how is she with her new girlfriend."

"Takamaki-san is still baffled that she got a new girlfriend months after breaking up with her boyfriend."

"I guess she's still soul-searching."

Both of us laughed at the thought before going back to the topic.

"Did I..." She paused. "Am I... forgiven entirely now, Sumire?"

I looked at her sad face and smiled. "You've already been forgiven since you guys got me back to Okinawa. I'm not one who holds grudges anymore."

Kasumi teared up and hugged me carefully. I hugged her back and shed a small tear.

"You're the best sister that I don't deserve, Sumire."

"You're the best aunt Monika and our second child will be having fun with, Kasumi."

And so my tale here ends. I learned my lessons, both the easy way and the hard way. Although the sins of my past forever remain with me, I would move forward and let them trail behind as I gather around better memories to put me at ease. Like the sea, tranquility is the best feature of me. I may be quiet at times, but think of it as me being a curious person or one who thinks too much. Regardless, I have gained my happy ending... and I yearn to give a happier ending for my own family now.

My name is Sumire Amamiya, the infamous Identity Thief of U.E.S., and I have finally chosen the color to live my life moving forward: as a wife, a mother, a partner, a friend, and a sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all wanted a sequel, I know. But I decided to add up the epilogue instead to keep things short and avoid a brain cramp in plotting out how a sequel where Sumire isn't pretending anymore would go.
> 
> This is also the first time I did a POV chapter/one-shot, so please tell me if I did it right or wrong.
> 
> Once again, THANK YOU FOR READING IDENTITY THIEF! And thank you for making this to 10K Hits! See ya later! (Or in my other fic, if I notice ya!)

**Author's Note:**

> This fic will be updated every Monday and Thursday. I'm going to go on a strict schedule so I can make focus on this fic and The War That Ends The World, the sequel to Worlds Under War.
> 
> If anything happens, I will just announce ahead or comment on the recent chapter to let you all know.
> 
> EDIT: The fic is finally complete!


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